Blood and Spirit
by MiniJen
Summary: After Demise's defeat, Link and Zelda live on the surface together, watching over the Triforce. However, shadows quickly begin to cover the land again as a group of rouge Sheikah, traitorous to Hylia, capture Zelda and threaten to kill her. Can Link save her as well as overcome the impending corruption that threatens to destroy his own soul? Book 1 of the Bound Destinies Trilogy.
1. Preface

**Blood and Spirit**

**Book 1 of the Bound Destines Trilogy**

_**Author's Preface (Please read before continuing!)**_

_Well... That was fast! Here we are, in a place that I never thought I'd make it to, the beginning of the second story (1st chronologically) of the Bound Destinies Trilogy! Let me just say that I am beyond excited for this! Ever since I finished Wisdom and Courage, this is pretty much all I have been thinking about and now I can finally get started on it!_

_For those of you who are not familiar with the Bound Destines Trilogy, allow me to give a little background information. I have already written and finished the second book in this trilogy, entitled Wisdom and Courage as set within the world of Ocarina of Time. It is not necessary for you to go read that first, since Blood and Spirit is the first book in this trilogy chronologically, introducing tons of elements that will be frequent throughout the entire trilogy and acting as a kind of prequel in a sense. But if you wish to go read it anyway, then feel free to! You won't be disappointed!_

_Now for Blood and Spirit itself. This story will be set within the era of Skyward Sword, starting in the aftermath of the game (aka, a few weeks after it). One of the reasons why I am so excited for this story is because it is based around SS, which is my absolute personal favorite Zelda game! But anyway, I'm not really giving out a huge plot synopsis here (if you want that, go check out my profile for that and synopsis's for the other stories in the trilogy), but I will give you a glimpse of what's to come: there will be tons of Link/Zelda shipping, action, tiny bits of fluff here and there (but nowhere near as much as there was in Wisdom and Courage), Majora's Mask references, Twilight Princess_ _references, Sheikahs not seen in the game, drama, angst, some adventuring, overall Zelda timeline references and lore, Ocarina of Time references, beloved characters from Skyward Sword, and so much more! So if you like any of that good stuff, then I encourage you to read on!_

_Before we actually start though, I do want to briefly mention the final piece in this trilogy: Light and Shadow. It will be set post Twilight Princess, and like the other two stories, will feature main aspects seen throughout the trilogy in its own special way. I can't say too much about it until this story is over, but believe me when I say that it will be an epic ending to this epic trilogy!_

_Also, I'd like to mention a change in my own personal procedures as a writer. I plan on being a lot more interactive with my readers this time around. I decided this while I was writing Wisdom and Courage; all of the reviews that I got in that story really inspired me and made me feel great! I love reviews so please leave them and, in the beginning of each chapter, I will respond to them, answering as many questions as I can without spoiling to them and letting you know my reactions to them! So again I see, feel free to REVIEW, even if its a short one! They're what really help my stories progress!_

_And, that's about all I have to say before we get started. Again, I say that I am WAY excited for this story and I promise that it will be as amazing as I can make it! I encourage you, even if you have not read Wisdom and Courage, or even if you have and want more, to follow, favorite and review! So, without further ado, let us begin... Next Time!_


	2. Beckoning Dreams

_Ok, so before we begin, let me just say THANK YOU to all NINE of you who have already followed this story, before its even began! Thanks to AntonDrakken, BlueFrenchHorn97, Mekuda, Nintendoman01, Synea827, TheSpiritMaiden, Vocaloid302, blueberryblitz19 and erico637. I wasn't expecting so many followers so soon! And thanks to the five of you who favorited: Mekuda, Nintendoman01, TheSpiritMaiden, Vocaloid302, and blueberryblitz19. You guys won't be disappointed! Now, I hate to keep stalling but let's just get the review replys out of the way really quick and then we can get started!_

**Synea827**-_Believe me when i say that the Sheikahs are going to be perhaps one of the best parts of this story! I am so excited about writing both the "villian" Sheikahs and the "good" Sheikahs and I hope on expanding upon what little we know of their mysterious culture from the games! I hope you enjoy!_

**Nintendoman01**-_Neither can I! XD_

**Zelink005-**_Your wait is over, the first chapter is finally here! XD_

**TheSpiritMaiden-**_I'm really looking forward to writing this, so you won't be disappointed! :D_

_Ok folks, that's it! Without further ado, I give you..._

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**Blood and Spirit**

_Chapter 1: Beckoning Dreams_

_"Link... chosen hero of the goddess Hylia..."_

A strange, yet heavenly voice called out to the hero as he stood within a mysterious forest, sunlight just barely spilling through the tall trees. Oddly enough, the voice seemed to be coming from a specific direction, and no more than a second after it first spoke to him, the bright, trilling sound of what seemed to be a flute or something close to it, began to echo throughout the woods, as the feminine voice rung out once more.

_"Hero..._" it said, a certain desperation starting to creep into its otherwise calming tone. _"Please... Come this way..." _A light breeze began to rustle the trees in a certain path ahead of the hero, showing him where to go._ "I am in need of your aid... A corrupting power pervades my own champion... I am in need of your strength to free him from the evil that binds his soul... Please... Help save my dying land as you have saved the land of Hylia... Find your way here from the forest of your world... Come with the goddess' reincarnation... Please, hero... You are my last hope..."_

The mysterious voice faded away, as did the forest itself, as another, much more familiar voice called out to him cheerfully and rather abruptly. "Hey! Wake up, sleepyhead!"

Link groaned sleepily and rolled over, trying to ignore Zelda, but as usual, she persisted. "Come on, Link!" she said brightly, leaning down to his level to make sure he could hear her. "Its another gorgeous morning on the surface! The sun is shining, the birds are singing..." She sighed wistfully as she rose to stand once more. "Its just amazing! Its always so beautiful down here!"

"But its so early..." the hero muttered, begrudgingly opening his eyes to glance up at her.

Zelda couldn't help but giggle at his morning grouchiness. "Oh come on..." she patronized. "If anything, its late. In fact, I think I let you sleep in for a change!"

"You've never let me sleep in, Zel," Link protested with a slight smile as he sat up, finally waking up fully. "And sometimes I think you never will..."

She grinned cleverly at him. "Aw, don't be like that..." she said sweetly, taking a seat on the temple floor beside him. "After all, I was nice enough to wash these for you down by the creek earlier." She handed him a bundle consisting of his green knight uniform tunic and cap. "And all before you even woke up."

The hero frowned as he took the clothes from her and slipped them on overtop his undershirt. "You shouldn't have done that," he said patiently. "Going out there on your own could be dangerous. I don't want to loose you again."

Zelda felt her cheeks redden a bit, but she smiled good-naturedly nonetheless. "I was fine," she said, glancing towards the sunlight that spilled in from the broken part of the Sealed Temple's ceiling. "There aren't any monsters wandering around in the forest anymore now that Demise is gone and besides, I wasn't alone..."

"What do you mean?" Link asked in confusion.

The girl's smile became mysterious as she lowered her voice to almost a whisper. "What I mean as that, all over the surface, there are loyal guardians, whose responsibility is to serve and protect Hylia... or... well, me now, I guess, hidden within the shadows. They're of Impa's tribe: the Sheikahs. I've haven't seen any of them except for Impa herself since we've been here, but I know that they're there, watching us from the shadows and making sure that I'm safe."

"I thought that was my job," the hero said with a joking smile.

Zelda laughed as she rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, well how do you plan on protecting me if all you do is sleep all the time?"

Link couldn't really argue with that, and so he simply joined in her playful laughter as the two of them stood up and went to truly experience the fresh morning outside of the temple walls. The two friends had been living on the surface together for the past three weeks, ever since the hero defeated Demise, the demon king who had tormented the surface and all of its inhabitants in an age long past. With the surface now a peaceful, largely safe place, Link and Zelda had both decided that they wanted to dwell within this strange, unknown new world and watch over the golden relic, the Triforce, rather than return to their native home up in Skyloft. Of course, they had returned to sky to visit several times since then as it was a relatively quick trip and they still had friends and family up there. But for the most part, the two of them had stayed on the surface, exploring it together during the day and sleeping within the safe confines of the Sealed Temple at night. They didn't intend for the temple to be their permanent residence, but for the first few months, it would work. Occasionally, they would receive Skyloftian guests, such as their friend, Groose or Zelda's father, Headmaster Gaepora, but most of the time they were on the own, the only two humans living on the surface as far as they had seen. They both enjoyed it immensely though. The surface offered them a new kind of freedom that the sky hadn't; they could go anywhere they wanted to without restrictions and they were the first people within recent history to explore the unconquered frontier. Everyday was a new and exciting adventure, and what made it better was that the two friends, who had both been through so much to reunite with one another, were spending them all in each other's company, laughing and sharing good times together just as they used to when they were both children.

Before either of them, or pretty much anyone on Skyloft for that matter, could remember, Link and Zelda had always been the best of friends. They had grown up together, and they knew more about each other than perhaps anyone else. Even before the surface incident, many people believed there to be something more than just a simple friendship between the two, though if anyone were to ask either of them, they'd both stubbornly deny it. But neither of them could deny that they cared deeply about the other. They were both known to have a fault of worrying too much for each other sometimes, and they both hated seeing the other hurt or upset. They had always been inseparable, and they especially were now that they had everyday to be together.

Link and Zelda stepped out of the ancient temple and into the front courtyard, where the towering Statue of the Goddess rose high above the Sealed Grounds. Originally, the statue had been a part of Skyloft until its recent descent to the surface, along with the ancient golden power of the gods, the Triforce. Since it was Hylia's charge to protect the sacred triangles from falling into the hands of those who would abuse its awesome might and since Zelda was the goddess' reincarnation, she and Link had taken it upon themselves to watch over it as they dwelled on the surface. So far, nothing had tried to steal the Triforce away from its high perch above the statue's hands, but they could never be too careful. Even though Demise and his cronies, including the treacherous demon lord, Ghirahim, were gone from the surface thanks to the hero, Zelda knew that there could still be greedy souls lurking throughout the land, seeking to take the power of the gods and use it for their own selfish whims. And so, as an extra precaution, she had placed a seal upon the Triforce shortly after they moved to the surface, making it so that only her or Link could have access to it if they ever needed it.

And so, as was their routine every morning, the two of them called their respective Loftwings down from the sky to give them a lift up to the top of the statue. The two guardian birds flew down together through the opening in the cloud barrier over the forest and landed before their riders within the open courtyard. Because Loftwings were not accustomed to the thicker air of the surface, they generally did not tend to come through the recently-opened cloud barrier unless they were called. But even so, every morning, Link and Zelda's Loftwings loyally came down without fail, so they could deliver their riders to the Triforce's elevated resting spot so they could check the integrity of its seal. After the two of them safely landed atop the perch, Zelda closed her eyes and concentrated, using her powers to sense how strong the seal was, as she made sure to do every day.

"So?" Link asked a moment later. "How is it?"

Zelda opened her eyes and frowned, gazing up at the golden relic. "Its getting weaker..." she sighed, positioning the Goddess's Harp that she had brought along with her. "I'll need to strengthen it again, but... I'm worried... One day, a simple seal like this won't hold up any more and then anyone will be able to get their hands on the Triforce..."

"What will we do then?" the hero asked.

"I don't know..." she trailed off quietly as she began to strum the Ballad of the Goddess upon the harp. A slight glow began to form around the Triforce as she sang the words to the song in her melodious voice. "O youth... Guided by the servant of the goddess... Unite earth and sky... and bring light to the land..." The Triforce flashed for a moment as she finished, signifying that the seal had been renewed once more.

Once the ritual was complete, the two of them continued to stare at the shimmering golden relic for a moment longer, as a gentle breeze began to blow towards the east, rustling through the leaves of the dense forest in that direction. The sudden change in the wind caught Link's attention, making him think of the strange dreams about the voice in the woods that he had been having recently. The odd gale directed his gaze towards the thick forest beyond the Sealed Grounds, a part of the surface that he had never been to before and it made him wonder: was there anything beyond that unknown labyrinth of trees? "Hey Zelda," he said, breaking through the natural silence.

"Yes?" she said, putting her harp aside and looking to him.

"What's over there?" he asked, pointing towards the mysterious woods.

Zelda frowned as she looked towards the forest as well. "Hm..." she mused, trying to remember something about the place from the memories that she shared with Hylia but finding nothing. She sighed, frustrated at how selective the goddess's memories that she had received sometimes were. "I don't know... I guess I didn't get any of Hylia's memories about it... Why?"

"Well, I've been having these weird dreams lately," the hero began. "I'm in a forest and there's a slight wind blowing through the trees in certain direction and this voice is calling out to me-"

"And there's the sound of a wind instrument echoing through the woods?" the girl finished his thought, much to his bewilderment.

"Yeah..." Link said, giving her a curious look. "But... How did you know that?"

Zelda smiled slyly. "Because," she said, looking to the woods once more. "I've been having the same kind of dreams myself recently. I guess that makes them even weirder, huh?"

He nodded solemnly, still perplexed about the dreams. "What do you think they mean?"

"Well..." she said thoughtfully. "Maybe they're meant to give us a sign or something... Did the voice in your dreams talk about needing aid?"

"Yes," the hero said. "Maybe there's someone or something in the forest that needs help?"

"Maybe... Should we go check it out?"

"I think we should. Even if we're wrong, then we'll at least get to see what's over there."

"Yeah," Zelda said with a small smile, ready for another adventure upon the vast realms of the surface. "Well then, let's get going, shall we?"

Link nodded as the two of them prepared to descend from the statue's hands. They both used the sailcloth to get down, with Zelda holing on to Link so they could both land at the same time. Once they were back on the ground, they wasted no time in getting ready for their trek to the uncharted woods. Anticipating that they would be gone for quite a few hours, if not all day, they made suitable preparations; Zelda got a small bag of food and some other supplies together, while Link prepared his sword and the rest of gear so the pair could make it through the woods in safety. Once all their arrangements were complete and they plotted the course they would take to get to the forest, they left the temple and started towards Faron Woods.

The late morning sun was bright and pleasant as the two of them walked through the familiar forest at a relaxed place, casually conversing along the way as they headed for a path that could lead them to the deeper woods. However, both the goddess and her hero were completely unaware of the several sets of eyes that watching them intently, swiftly and silently following behind them in the shadows of the trees. Two different groups kept a close eye on the two friends, each with their own purpose. The first group watched over Hylia's human incarnation in the hopes of protecting her if her hero was unable to. The second group's intentions, however, were much less noble. Though they too were supposed to be keeping a protective watch over the goddess, they were instead spying on her, gathering information to report back to their own leader with. And, as soon as Link and Zelda had vanished out of sight and into the forbidden woods that none in their tribe were supposed to enter into, the group of about ten slipped away and took the intelligence they had gathered back to their leader, who was patiently waiting for them within a well-hidden cavern nearby.

The group entered into the den of their brethren, the legion of around two hundred who followed the ambitions of their leader rather than the rest of their tribe. They operated in secret, their agenda and motives completely hidden away from the main tribe that they were all apart of. It was a necessity for them; if their intentions and ideas were discovered, they would be branded as traitors and banished from their tribe forever.

"Mistress Veress," the leader of the scout group bowed humbly before where their respected leader stood within the cavern. "We have returned."

Their female leader frowned in disappointment at all of them. "Why?" she asked, an undertone of anger creeping into her normally calm, calculating tone. "Why are you not still following the goddess and her hero as I told you to?"

"Mistress Veress, we apologize, but they entered into the lost woods. No one who has ever entered into that place has come out alive."

"So? You let something as insignificant as an old wive's tale keep you from the task I entrusted to you? You all are a disgrace."

"Again, we are deeply sorry, mistress... But as far as we could see, none of Sheik's braves went into the forest either."

"Ah... so, Sheik is too afraid to send her precious, loyal little Sheikahs into the forbidden forest? That figures; she always was scared of the place, ever since we were both little... Either way, it matters little at the moment. Tell me, what new information have you gathered about Hylia and her hero?"

"This morning, before they left to go into the woods, Hylia strengthened the seal on the Triforce, but she confided to the hero that it will not last forever. Perhaps we should wait until the seal breaks permanently and then make our move?"

"No... That could take months, even years of waiting. I want to do this as soon as possible. I am quickly growing impatient with 'her grace' and her loyal little hero. All they do is wander around the surface and watch the Triforce, as if it could go anywhere on its own. They're fools... both of them. They have access to all of that power and they don't even intend to use it! Such great might would certainly be better off in the hands of someone with ambition, don't you all agree?"

The group simultaneously nodded and voiced their agreement and support as their mistress went on. "We are gathering more and more power each day as both our numbers and our magic increase. The time is nigh! All we need is the perfect opportunity. The day is coming very soon when we shall make our move against the goddess and her hero. Hylia must pay for disregarding the strength and might of our tribe by choosing a so-called 'hero' to take on a task that we easily could have accomplished. If she had only given us a chance, then we easily could have defeated the demon king all on our own, without the need for any hero at all! But she disgraced us, showing us that she does not see the might of our tribe by choosing that weak hero of hers and having him take on Demise instead of us. That is why we must show her just how powerful we are! Powerful enough to strike her hero down, powerful enough to take the Triforce as our own and powerful enough to rule over the surface in her place! My brothers and sisters, let us prepare... for soon, we shall avenge the broken honor of our tribe! Soon, we shall know unlimited power! Soon, we shall make both the goddess and her hero pay!"

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**And so my dear readers, there you have it! The first chapter of Blood and Spirit! Unlike Wisdom and Courage, I plan on diving right into one of the several subplots of the story (and believe me when i say there are going to be quite a few). Also, I'm not planning on doing any little ending sections with this story like I did in W&C, just because I don't have any good ideas for them, so sorry if you enjoyed them, but they're not happening! Anyway, get ready folks, for the next chapter will involve a few Majora's Mask refrences... If you catch my drift... ;D Ok then, so until then, please follow, favorite, and REVIEW! Until Next Time!**


	3. Another World

_So here we are, at chapter 2, which was a bit delayed due to me getting heavily distracted... Interestingly enough by researching things for this chapter. :O Anyway, thanks to AmyVideogamer, Beautified Disaster, Farli30519, ShadowNinja1011, SpiritOfHyrule, TheJediAvenger, rilish, silverhawk88, and sonicxjones for following or favoriting (or both in some cases)! Now, onto the review responses:_

**TheSpiritMaiden-**_the rebel Sheikah may seem kinda shallow and mysterious in their methods and motives now, believe me when I say they will get a lot more interesting from here on out! And as for Sheik... I've already developed a lot about her character. I can't wait until her official entrance into the story!_

**Zelink005**_-Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!_

**BlueFrenchHorn97**_-You won't be disappointed with the Sheikahs! I plan on developing their culture a lot more based on things seen in the games and my own orginal characters and putting several of them in the fore as central characters! And Sheik being a female in this story is kinda necessary for a subplot coming in later on, but it won't make her any less epic! And if you liked the back and forth between Link and Zelda in the last chapter, I'm sure you'll love it in this one! XD_

_**silverhawk88-**__Thanks for your support! Keep reading and enjoying!_

_And with that outta the way, let's get started!_

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_Chapter 2: Another World_

As Link and Zelda traveled deeper into the mysterious forest, their ongoing conversation gradually faded away into the dense silence of the area. These woods were by far different than the bright, lush greenery of Faron Woods that the two of them were used to. Rather, these woods were lonely and dark; their every footstep echoed against the tight hush of the thicket and the tall trees shielded the forest floor from most traces of sunlight. The only signs of natural life came from the sparsely flittering fairies that flew about, their glowing bodies dimly illuminating the otherwise nonexistent path. But even so, the pair went on, unsure of what they would find at the other end of this mystical forest.

After an hour or so of silently wandering within the supposedly empty woods, both of them became restless and discouraged in their search. Even though their matching dreams had seemed to guide them to this place, there appeared to be no signs of anything but the sea of trees that stretched on for miles. Even if they were to turn around and try a different route, chances were that this fact would not change.

"Hey Zelda," Link said after some time, finally breaking through the prolonged quiet between the two. "I don't think there's anything here. Maybe we were wrong about the dreams."

"I was thinking that too," Zelda said, taking another glance up at the tall trees above her. "Its strange though... I was almost certain that we'd find something here."

The hero shrugged as they both came to a halt within a small clearing. "Well I guess its safe to say that this is just a big empty forest, huh?"

Zelda opened her mouth to agree with him, but before she could even utter a single word, a soft gale began to blow through her long blonde hair. Her eyes widened as she looked to the direction that the wind was blowing, to the path that lead into the inky darkness ahead. She took a small step in that direction, poising her ears to listen to the wind blowing through the foliage.

"What's wrong?" Link asked her when he noticed her tense manner. Zelda didn't reply; rather she held a finger out beside her, a signal that the two of them had used to tell the other to be quiet ever since they were little. But even so, the hero's curiosity got the better of him. He slowly moved to stand beside her and tried again. "Zelda?"

"Sh!" she quieted him almost immediately. "Listen..." They both held their tongues as they watched and listened to the forest ahead of them. On instinct, Link placed a hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword, just in case whatever Zelda was hearing was something that wanted to jump out of the forest and attack them. "Do you hear it?" she whispered to him a moment later. He remained silent but shook his head, having no idea what she was talking about. "Come on," she said, slowly and quietly going after the breeze's guidance. Link followed closely behind her, not questioning the goddess's heightened senses.

The two of them quickened their pace as the distant noise finally became clear to both of them. It was the high tones of what seemed to be a wind instrument echoing through the woods, much like what both of them heard in their respective dreams. They both chased after the direction of its source, knowing that it would lead them to the mysterious voice as well. As they rushed towards it, they barely noticed that the fairies were gradually vanishing out of sight, making the forest even darker as they came to the heart of it. It was only as the area became as dark as night that they both stopped in their tracks, having lost sight of each other completely in the blackness around them.

"Zelda?" the hero called out against the increasing sound of the instrument.

"Link?" she responded from a few feet away from him.

"Where are you?"

"I'm over here!"

"Where? I can't see anything."

"Well neither can I, but I'm right-"

Zelda stopped short as her and Link accidentally crashed into each other roughly, though neither of them knew what they had bumped into thanks to the darkness. In confusion, they both reached out to each other just as a strange source of light coming from the thicket ahead of them suddenly illuminated the area and they both found that they were brushing their hands against the other's face. Immediately, they simultaneously retracted and took a step away from each other as they both reddened in embarrassment, but they smiled slyly to each other nonetheless.

"I swear, Link!" Zelda said with a joking smirk. "Sometimes, you are so clumsy!" With her cheeks still boasting a bright red blush, she playfully marched towards him and pulled his cap down over his eyes, giving him a small kiss on the cheek before starting off again towards the light. She glanced back at him as he repositioned his hat and gave him a clever wink and a small giggle when she noticed his dumbfounded, yet satisfied expression.

Link watched in slight awe as she slowly sauntered off, realizing that once again, he had fallen victim to her flirtatious teasing. Ever since they were little, Zelda had always found enjoyment in harmlessly badgering him, especially in a romantic way. And even though it always managed to disconcert the hero, he knew that it always brought a certain level of shyness to her too. But what flustered him even more was the fact that he liked her; of course, he always had, ever since the two of them first met countless years ago. However, more recently that liking seemed as though it was starting to become something more. It did make sense, after all, she was his long-time best friend, the one person who knew and understood him the most; it was only logical that such feelings would come forth after everything they had been through together. But at the moment, he had no way of knowing if she felt the same way, or even if his own feelings were what he believed them to be. It was just too soon to say for sure.

But even so, the hero hurried after the girl as she wandered towards both the sound of the instrument and the growing light. The somewhat dissonant notes of the wind instrument grew clearer and clearer as the trees surrounding them began to thin out, leading them to what they presumed to be the forest's other end. And as both the guiding wind and the haunting melody stopped altogether, the light became almost blinding until it faded completely, revealing a place that neither one of them could have ever expected.

They were no longer within the woods at all; instead a large, expansive field stretched out before them in all directions, acting as a crossroads for several different environments. A snowy mountain range dominated the landscape's northern side, to the west was a sandy coast against an endless sea, to the south was a densely wooded swamp, and to the east, a desolate canyon towered mysteriously. Towards the center of the field, a few sparse settlements rested behind a circular wall, a tall clock towering above the humble village and its four gates all closed and locked tight. The field itself seemed to be empty of any life, save for Link and Zelda as they cautiously began to venture out onto it.

"Where are we?" Link asked as he took in the landscape wonderingly.

"I have no idea..." Zelda answered in equal amazement, looking up into the cloudy skies above. Clearly, it was a place that Hylia had no memories of, making it all the more mysterious. They certainly weren't within any province of the surface that they knew of, if they were even still on the surface at all.

"Ah..." a female voice called out from calmly the forest that they had just left. "So the rumors are true... Hylia has taken on a human form..."

Startled by the suddenness of the voice, Link and Zelda both spun around to face its source, who stepped out of the woods and into their view. It was a young woman who seemed to be not much older than the two of them, with long, coal black hair and fine, tanned skin. Her eyes were emerald green and she wore a simple white dress that flowed down past her feet. Strangely, her overall appearance seemed to be quite similar to Zelda's; despite their contrasting hair, eye and skin colors, they both had nearly identical facial structures and matching figures and heights. And as her and Link examined the strange woman, Zelda gained a vague idea that she knew her from somewhere... or rather _sometime_.

"I... I knew you once..." she said to the woman, trying to conjure up the goddess's ancient memories. "Or... at least Hylia did..."

The woman nodded with a sincere, yet somewhat sad smile. "You are correct, Zelda. There was a time when we knew each other well... The goddesses said that I would be lucky if you remembered me at all, and yet I am glad to see that you have at least have a knowledge of me. We were once quite close, many ages ago. It is good to see you again."

Zelda and Link exchanged a confused glance before the hero spoke up. "Excuse me, but who are you?"

The woman smiled radiantly at him, her verdant eyes seeming to fill with hope simply upon looking at him. "Ah..." she said, nodding to him. "Link... the chosen hero of the goddess... We are well met. I have heard of your courageous exploits and of your triumph over the demon king. And seeing you for myself, I can tell that Hylia has chosen a fine hero for herself..." she trailed off somewhat sadly, but continued a moment later. "I apologize for not being direct with the two of you. The land that you now stand within now is a world different from the sky and surface that you know. It is a place parallel to yours, created by the same gods, but set apart from it. This is the land of Termina, and as its sovereign goddess, it is my task to protect it and its inhabitants. My name is Terminus."

"Terminus?!" Zelda gasped as one of the more ancient of Hylia's memories suddenly rushed back to her. "Of course! You're Hylia's-I mean, you're my..."

"Yes," Terminus said with a warm, reminiscing smile. "I am your twin sister."

Zelda, overtaken with Hylia's fond memories of her twin, rushed forward and embraced her long-lost half sister. And as she did, even more memories about Terminus's foreign land started coming back to her. In the same way that Hylia and Terminus were twins, so were the lands they presided over. Though the two separate countries existed within different worlds, they were completely parallel to one another. Which meant that for every person that lived with in the world that Zelda and Link were from, there was an equal counterpart for them within Terminus's domain. Though based on what they had seen so far, there seemed to be no one even living in Termina save for the goddess who protected it herself.

A moment later, once the two goddesses had disbanded their hug, Terminus spoke once again, her joyous smile fading as she glanced out across the barren landscape. "As glad as I am to see you again Hylia, I am afraid that the circumstances under which the two of you have come to this land are quite grave..."

"What do you mean?" Zelda asked, sensing her sister's melancholy.

Terminus sighed and looked up into the sunless sky, closing her eyes as she continued. "It started centuries ago... You might remember, Hylia... Do you know of the demon Majora?"

Zelda tried to conjure up a memory surrounding such a name, but was unable to find anything at all so she shook her head in response. Terminus took in a deep breath and went on. "I do not blame you. It began as you were embroiled in your war against Demise, shortly before you cast of your divinity if I remember correctly. Majora was an ancient demon that crawled forth from the depths of the earth and sought to cause great chaos and destruction across this land. Its wicked strength great, but the most dangerous thing about it by far was its intense evil powers of corruption. It sowed its influence across Termina and inspired the hearts of all men to follow after its malevolent ways. Almost every soul wandered after Majora. They built a kingdom within the canyon region in tribute to they demon, a place they called Ikana, which means 'land of the great demon', where they thrived in their treachery and worshiped Majora like a god. For many years, Majora held the people under its demonic hold. So great was the evil within the hearts of men that many wars started among them as they fought for power amongst themselves and for an even greater power... the Triforce...

"The old goddesses, knowing the great tragedy that could befall both my land and yours if the followers of Majora were to lay their hands upon the golden power, closed the gateway that led to the Triforce from this land forever. As the centuries wore on, I could no longer stand the immorality and bloodshed among my once noble people any longer. And so, I planned to destroy their evil kingdom once and for all. I called out the few who were still righteous and pure of heart among them and led them to a safe place, where they could build their own city and prosper. And then, in one fell swoop of destruction, I poured my wrath upon Ikana Kingdom destroying it and all of its inhabitants..."

Terminus paused for a moment as she cast a sad glance towards the eastern canyon, her tone growing even more morose as she went on. "With the followers of Majora gone, those who were loyal to me bore descendants and created the small city that rests near the heart of this land. They call it Clock Town; the rising tower above it they built to honor me and my control over the flow of time in this land. I watch over them and the other four regions of Termina, as I have since its creation, but we were still plagued by evil, even after the destruction of Ikana. Majora, bereft of its legions of followers, ran rampant across these lands, spreading great chaos and destruction for many years. I battled it on my own for centuries, but recently my powers have begun to weaken due to my constant struggle against the demon. I knew that eventually, Majora would overpower me and this land would be left without a defender... I was at a loss about what to do... Everything seemed to be hopeless for this troubled land... Until, I heard of the battle plan that you had devised to deal with Demise, Hylia. To choose a noble hero to defeat the demon king was a brilliant idea, one that I decided to implement in the hopes of ridding this land of Majora forever. And yet... though the idea may have been perfect... my execution of it was direly flawed...

"Like you, Hylia, I chose for myself a youth with a pure spirit and a courageous heart. He was a strong young man... brave and honorable... The most noble in the land..." Terminus sighed in grief as a small tear slipped down her cheek. "I... I entrusted him with the task of conquering over Majora and he immediately accepted... He raced forth valiantly into battle, brandishing his dual swords skillfully. It was a long and arduous battle and throughout it, I poured as much of my power as I could out upon my hero. In the end... we triumphed over Majora at long last. The demon was defeated, but I knew that it would not stay dormant forever. And so, I quickly sealed Majora away into a mask and entrusted it to the guardian tribe of this land. And so, Termina was finally safe and Majora faded into the shadows... however, its evil influence did not.

"My hero..." Terminus said mournfully. "Though he was successful at defeating Majora... it came at a great cost. While in battle, the demon managed to land a single blow upon my hero, a mere cut across the chest... And through its wicked influence, Majora managed to taint the spirit of my hero, corrupting his soul and filling him with its dark powers. He gained great, god-like powers and was transformed from the hero that I had once known, into another being entirety... He had fallen from righteousness and into Majora's control. Now, the demon, in its hatred and lust for vengeance against me, commands his new servant to hunt me down in the hopes of destroying me. To think that my own hero could be turned against me simply because of Majora's lasting evil... It pains my soul greatly... I can no longer call him my hero... I must take to what the frightened people have started calling him... the Fierce Deity..."

Terminus took in a deep breath as she paused once more, obviously pained by the loss of her hero. "Because of my weakened state, I am unable to take on the Deity on my own. In the depths of my great sorrow, I recently cried out to the old goddesses for help. I begged them to send someone to this land who could subdue the Deity and free him from Majora's control, so that I could possibly return him to his former self. And... I can see that the goddesses have answered my prayers... Not only have they reunited me with my dear twin sister, but they have also sent the courageous hero who felled the demon king. It is clear that you have been guided to Termina for this purpose. But the choice ultimately belongs to the two of you. I implore you, even though this land is not your own, to aid me in my hour of need out of the kindness of your hearts. Link, I must ask you to fight the Deity and weaken him enough so that Zelda and I can attempt to restore him. Please, you both are my last hope. I have no one else to turn to now. So... will you help me?"

Link and Zelda exchanged a consulting glance, both simultaneously and silently telling each other what needed to be done. Of course, Zelda was immediately inclined to help Terminus; after all, the two of them were sisters, and even though Hylia took on a human form now, that fact had not changed. And Link wasn't really that hesitant to accept the goddess of Termina's request either; it was certainly the right thing to do and besides, he had fought and won against Demise, the dreaded, ancient demon king. Could the Fierce Deity be any worse than that?

"Of course we'll help, Terminus," Zelda said with a smile as Link nodded in agreement. "What do you need us to do?"

Terminus smiled gratefully to the two of them, her tearful green eyes alight with joy and renewed hope. "Oh thank you!" she said graciously. "Words cannot express the depths of my gratitude. I promise that once this is over, I will reward both of you suitably. But for now, we must focus on the task at hand. Though I am currently hiding from the Deity even as we speak, I know that Majora has him tracking me, even to the very ends of this land, commanding him to slay me. When he does manage to find me, which I know will be soon, that is when we must strike!" As Terminus spoke, she held out her hands and four different colored fairies rushed to fly over them, seeming to combine together in a flash of light. When the light faded, the fairies were gone and in their place was a beautiful, shining blade; the sword seemed to have a violet aura surrounding it, and etched into its large, sharp blade were vibrant black roses. Despite its clear glory, the sword also looked to be very deadly, as if simply touching its strong metal could kill. "This is the Great Fairy's Sword. It is a blade forged in the hottest flames, infused with rare, mystical black roses, and blessed by the four great fairies of Termina. And, it is the only weapon within this world that can cleave the thick armor that Majora has provided the Deity with. Originally, I had this sword crafted with the intention of giving it to my hero upon his triumph over the demon as a gift... But now it seems that it is the only thing that can stop him... And so, I now entrust its sacred strength to another instead. Link, chosen hero of the goddess Hylia," she said, holding the shimmering blade out for him to take. "Will you take up this sword and use its power to show my hero the light of purity once more?"

With a confident smile, Link reached forward and took the Great Fairy's Sword from her, its weight feeling natural and comfortable in his grasp. Simply holding it made him feel more ready to take on the task ahead. "Yes," he said, brandishing the blessed sword and admiring its obvious power and strength. "I will."

Terminus nodded her thanks to him with a warm smile. "I am confident that you will succeed. Though the spirit of my hero was quite strong, I can sense that yours is even stronger and through that, you shall find victory." The goddess of Termina then turned to Zelda and continued on with her battle plan. "Once Link has significantly weakened the Fierce Deity, then I will need your aid, my sister. I see that you have brought your ancient harp with you," she said, referring to the Goddess's Harp that Zelda had taken along with her, as she did to most places that her and Link traveled to ensure its safekeeping. "When the Deity is defeated, we shall play a sacred duet together that will hopefully heal his corrupted soul. You will play the harp and I will play this," Terminus held up a rather unusual instrument for the two of them to see. It was a small, vaguely egg-shaped object with a mouthpiece and holes, made of some type of light blue stone that put off a soft glow. "This instrument is called the Ocarina of Time. It was created by the goddesses when they formed both of our worlds and imbued with their power to control time, nature and energy. It is formed from Timeshift Stones, a power source that is abundant in your world, but extremely rare here. It has many mystical powers, and when combined with the Goddess's Harp, those powers are greatly amplified. Together, they should be enough to heal my hero's corrupted soul." Zelda nodded in confirmation of the plan, positioning the harp close at hand.

With their preparations complete, the three of them began to move across the field away from the forest, with Terminus silently leading the way. Link and Zelda walked side by side as they followed behind her, taking in the landscape of Termina and conversing quietly about the situation that they had found themselves in.

"Are you ready for this?" Zelda asked the hero, referring to the upcoming battle.

"You know, after facing Demise, I think I'd be ready for just about anything," he joked with a small grin.

"Oh goddesses, I'm serious Link!" she groaned in aggravation. "You're too confident! I know that you haven't really been in a big battle since you fought Demise! Are you sure-"

"I'll be fine, Zel," he interrupted her reassuringly. "You worry too much."

Zelda frowned and bit her lip. "I can't help but worry about you, Link..." she said softly. "You're always throwing yourself into danger, without even thinking. You're so reckless... You talk about how you worry about something happening to me, but if something were to happen to you, then I'd be a nervous wreck..."

"Nothing is going to happen," Link said calmly, taking her hand to ease her fears. "Everything will be OK. So stop worrying."

She took in a deep breath and looked him in the eyes, seeing the constant courage that she knew him for and she couldn't help but return the relaxed smile he was giving her. "Ok, fine," she relented. "I'll stop worrying... But only if you promise me something."

"What?"

"Please be careful... for me?"

"For you, I will be," the hero said with resolve. "I promise."

* * *

**Yay! Chapter 2 is out of the way! Like I said, I kinda had problems with this one, so if it seems kinda empty, please forgive me! The next chapter will be better though cause its gonna have some pretty epic action and a few starting twists. So, did you guys like the connections I made to both Majora's Mask, Ocarina of Time and Wisdom and Courage? I'm just gonna say that right now, there is going to be a lot of history and lore in this story, some of which might contradict things seen in the games, but hey, creative license and all that, right? Well, that's all I gotta say. Don't forget to follow, favorite and REVIEW! Until next time!**


	4. Song of Healing

_Hey everyone! Before we get started with chapter 3 (which is shorter than I thought it would be for some reason), I just wanna direct your attention to some character designs I did for three of the most important OCs that have/will appear in this story: Sheik, Veress, and Terminus. If you wanna see how I envision I envision their designs, take a look at this on deviantART: art/Blood-and-Spirit-Original-Characters-385710674 _

_Thanks to SB2Lazy, LEva114, Leina16, DaMan23, blitzburn, and PrincessZelda1468 for following and favoriting, whichever you did!_

_Now, onto the reviews, and there were a lot this time! Which made me extremely happy!_

**Zelink005-**_Thanks! And as for Terminus and her hero... well the first bit of this chhapter might answer that question! ;D_

**Nintendoman01**_-Yeah, I actually thought about that too and I would think that the Giants serve Terminus as guardians of the land, much like the dragons serve Hylia. There will actually be a mention of them in chapter 4, so keep an eye out for it!_

**Vocaloid302-**_Well I don't actually have a regular schedule by which I publish chapters, i kinda just post them whenever they get done. Unless writers block or something unforseen in my life happens, then I try to post at least two chapters a week. That might change when school starts though, but I always try to update whenever I can!_

**Leina16**-_SS Link and Zelda are my favorite too! They are just so cute together and I have already planned for some adorable/romantic/sweet moments between them later on_!

**BlueFrenchHorn97**-_If you liked those Zelink feels now, get ready for some major ones later on! XD Anyway, yeah I kinda suprised myself at how nicely Terminus tied everything together. I wanted her to appear as much as a cannon character as possible. And PLEASE don't remind me of that TERRIBLE Zelda TV show! Ah! I get the chills just thinking about how they murdered Link's personality in it! DX But in all seriousness, I would NEVER stoop to such low levels on purpose! Heavens no! I love SS Link because he is perhaps one of the more relatable ones. That said, I kinda wanted both him and Zelda to appear as kinda immature and playful with each other in the beginning of the story, only for them both to mature and develop throughout it. So, sorry if he seemed to be a bit on the cocky side! There won't be much more of that, but rather genuine likeability and development! XD_

**Silverhawk88**_-Well I can't really answer your question at the moment, cause that would be a HUGE spoiler for stuff that's going to happen later on! You'll just have to see what happens as it plays out ;D_

**Mekuda**_-It might seem like its going a little fast, but I feel like this part of the story could actually be considered a sort of prolouge in a way. There will be a lot more time developed to character and world development before the actual plot begins in the next several chapters. The Fierce Deity thing and the Sheikah thing are going to play hand in hand with each other, as you'll see soon enough... ;) Anyway, the story with Terminus and the Deity gets even more tragic in this chapter and the next one, and we'll find out more about their past in these two chapters as well! As for Link, yeah I kinda wanted to make him bold and confident now, yet somewhat nuanced and immature, to give way to maturity and humbleness later on, while still keeping him determined and courageous! XD_

_And with that out of the way, let's get onto the story!_

* * *

_Chapter 3: Song of Healing_

As the trio continued to walk across the field, Terminus couldn't help but eavesdrop in on Link and Zelda's conversation and feel somewhat envious of the close bond that they obviously shared. There had been a time when she had shared a relationship like that with her own hero, before he had been transformed by the evil demon into the Fierce Deity. He had been a simple young man from the growing village, who seemed to be quite ordinary upon a first glance. Terminus remembered fondly what he used to look like: dark brown hair, light green eyes, a lean, yet sturdy build, and a kind smile. And beyond that, his heart was generous, gentle and pure. His skill with a blade had been unparalleled throughout the land of Termina and his loyalty to its goddess was without question. And it was for that reason that Terminus had chosen him to rise up against Majora in her stead. She had given him this task in person, and it was at that moment that a bond began to form between the two of them almost naturally. In between preparations for the oncoming battle, the two of them would spend almost every waking hour together, building something that quickly escalated into a passionate romance. He seemed to not care at all that she was a goddess and that he was a mere mortal and when she was with him, she seemed to forget that fact herself. As far as they were concerned, they were both equals, and nothing else mattered. For several weeks, they were each other's entire world and all was blissful. They spent many happy hours together, until the fateful day came when the hero fought Majora and suffered from its corrupting touch. In the aftermath of the battle, he lost himself entirely and was transformed from the hero that the goddess had once loved dearly, into a fierce warrior with only one agenda: to merciless kill the one he had once loved as well by the command of his unrelenting demon master. And, even though the Deity could no longer love his goddess any more, there was no question that, even though she was forced to wage war against him, Terminus still loved her hero and always would.

As Terminus was lost in her bittersweet memories, she almost didn't notice that her former hero had snuck up on her and was ready to strike her down. In fact, she wouldn't have noticed at all if it hadn't been for Zelda's surprised and terrified gasp coming from behind her. The goddess of Termina turned her head just in time to see the Fierce Deity towering over her, his deadly blade poised to murder her in an instant. Unable to react out of fear and shock, she closed her eyes and turned away so she wouldn't have to watch his sword come down. But much to her great fortune, it didn't. Instead the loud crash of clanging metal sounded throughout the field. Terminus opened her eyes to find Link standing between her and the Deity's blade, defending against the attack with the Great Fairy's Sword.

"Both of you, run!" he shouted, clearly struggling against the formidable physical power of the Deity. "Now!"

Zelda didn't hesitate to follow his command and began to hurry away from the battle scene, until she saw Terminus, still frozen in terror, her eyes wide with fright. Gathering up as much courage as she could, the girl rushed towards her twin and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to her feet and dragging her out of the Deity's reach until they were a safe ten feet away from both heroes.

Despite the Deity's great might, Link managed to muster the strength to push the corrupted hero back, creating a distance of several feet between the two of them. The Deity stood still for a moment as Link caught his breath, giving him and Zelda a chance to take in the frightful appearance of Terminus' former hero. He was at least eight feet tall and looked to be quite muscular and strong. He wielded a large blade that used to be two separate swords, their metals now twisted and fused together in the shade of a double-helix. But as Zelda looked between him and Link, she noticed something that unnerved her quite a bit: the Deity looked extremely similar to her own hero. It was true that there were quite a few physical differences, such as their contrasting blades and the Deity's eyes, which were pure white and pupil-less, along with the red and blue war paint markings on his face and his snow-white hair. However, they shared many characteristics as well: their facial structures and builds were about the same aside from their heights, and they both wore a cap and tunic, though Link's were green and the Deity's were light blue, coupled with thick metal chest armor and gauntlets and black leggings. And, as Zelda noticed these uncanny resemblances, she realized something important: in the same way that Terminus and Hylia were counterparts to each other, each from a different, yet parallel world, so were the goddesses' respective heroes. But she had no time to dwell on the fact as she watched Terminus' former hero raise his double-helix blade into the air. A strange glow began to form around it as the overcast skies above grew dark and a storm started to brew. A clear barrier surrounded the makeshift battle field of the two heroes, much to Zelda's dismay as she realized that neither her nor Terminus would be able to help Link at all because of it. This would be a battle that he'd have to fight entirely on his own, and if he didn't win, it would certainly mean death.

Link, on the other hand, barely noticed the barrier as he kept his eyes locked on his opponent, unsure of the Deity's fighting style or weak points. What he really could have used at the moment was the infallible advice of Fi, the spirit that dwelled within the blade of evil's bane, the Master Sword. When the hero had been on his initial journey on the surface to find Zelda, Fi had been his constant companion, sharing her wealth of knowledge with him, especially on the various enemies and monsters that he encountered. Her help certainly would have been invaluable now, especially in dealing with the mysterious Fierce Deity, but the spirit had sealed herself away into an eternal slumber inside of the Master Sword upon Demise's defeat. But as much as he wished for her presence, Link could only think about her for a second, as the Deity was already coming in for his first attack.

After narrowly leaping out of the path of the long, sharp blade, the hero attempted to counter using his own sword, but the Deity was quick to block it. After clashing swords once more, both of them leaped back and prepared for another strike. Link was the first to race forward upon coming up with a quick strategy as he rushed towards the Deity, who stood more than ready to defend against him once more. However, instead of trying for a direct attack, Hylia's hero ran past Terminus's hero, and slashed against the Deity's open back, sending the former hero reeling forwards from the heavy blow.

Zelda smiled in relief as she watched Link finally land a direct hit, but as she glanced over at Terminus, she could sense the clear dread on her sister's face. And it was in that brief moment that she realized that Terminus and her hero must have close, and that simply watching him get hurt, even if it was possibly for his own good, brought her the same amount of pain as if she had been hit herself. Zelda couldn't really blame her though; she knew that if their roles were reversed and she had to watch her own hero suffer in such a way as Terminus' had, it would definitely bring a great deal of pain to her as well. But even so, it was a strange, yet interesting turn of events; that the two counterpart heroes, who were similar in appearance, yet contrasting in allegiance, were forced to fight each other in such a way. Though one boasted near god-like strength and power, the other was of great courage and determination. And perhaps it was because of that fact that, even though they didn't appear to be, both of the goddesses' heroes were more equally matched than one would think.

It only took seconds for the Deity to recover from the strike and the moment he did, he spun around to face his opponent, widely swinging his large sword into the empty air around him, unleashing a lethal beam of raw energy towards the hero's turned back. Link spun around just in time to see the wave speeding right for him and he reacted in the only way he had time for: by raising his Hylian Shield in front of him, hoping that the indestructible shield could protect him from the deadly blast. The beam struck the shield with a tremendous amount of force, sending it out of his grasp completely and throwing him backwards to the ground, knocking the wind out of him.

Zelda gasped in fear when she saw Link land roughly. She pounded her fists against the invisible barrier in a futile attempt to get to him, watching the Deity slowly make his approach towards the semi-conscious hero and knowing that there was no way he could defend himself against another brutal attack now. "Link!" she shouted to warn him as she nervously watched him start to weakly pull himself back onto his feet. Still disoriented from the blow, he glanced over at Zelda when he heard her calling his name and that was his fatal mistake. For as he did so, he was unable to see the Deity start to rush for him until it was too late. The Deity struck the hero in the stomach hard with his fist, using her sheer physical strength to send Link reeling back several feet onto the ground. Zelda couldn't help but scream in horror as she saw Terminus' hero take advantage of the fact that Hylia's hero was fully unconscious now due to the harsh blow. With wide terrified eyes, she watched as the Deity easily pick Link up by the front of his tunic and hold him up like he was some kind of trophy. And, in a movement so quick that Zelda barely saw it, the Deity sliced his deadly blade across the hero's chest, leaving a long, deep cut before throwing him to the ground roughly.

"No!" Zelda cried in desperation, tears streaming down her face as she pounded on the barrier harder than before. "Terminus, we have to help him!"

Terminus was silent for a moment, her face cold and emotionless as she kept her gaze locked on her former hero, who now stood completely still before Hylia's fallen hero for some reason. "There is nothing we can do..." she whispered hollowly. "This is his fight now, not ours. If he fails... then he fails..."

"How can you say that?!" Zelda shouted angrily, not wanting to sit by idly just to watch Link suffer. "He's badly hurt! If we don't do something, then... then... he'll..." She trailed off, unable to even utter the terrible thought. But at the same time, she was still frustrated with Terminus for being so passive at such a dire moment. It was as though she didn't even care about what happened to Link at all, something that enraged Zelda. But, she knew that the goddess of Terminus had been right. As much as it pained her to think about it, there was nothing either of them could really do. The only thing that could save the hero now would be a miracle.

Upon this bitter realization, Zelda tearfully glanced away from Link only for a second to look at Terminus. Her sister still did not turn her gaze away from the Deity, but now there was clear pain painted upon her face. Tears of deep sorrow slipped down her cheeks and her green eyes were distant, as if lost in long-gone memories of blissful times that could never return. She took in a deep breath and looked down as she closed her eyes, unable to look at the sight of Hylia's near-dead hero and her own corrupted hero any longer. Seeing that Terminus was unresponsive, Zelda looked back to the battle field to see something that completely shocked her.

Though the Deity still did not move an inch, Link began to stir, much to Zelda's relief. However, she had no way of knowing that something was terribly wrong. The hero pulled himself to his hands and knees in a daze, feeling far away and distant from everything. The gash in his chest was certainly painful, but strangely it made his entire body feel both hot and cold at the same time. Multiple voices seemed to be whispering incoherent things to him from out of nowhere as all of his senses began to dim into complete oblivion. He collapsed onto the ground once more, until he slowly rose to his feet a moment later to stand strong and unshaped, ready to start this fight anew. It was as though he was totally unaffected by his still heavily bleeding wound as he stood holding the Great Fairy's Sword poised to attack the Deity, his expression uncharacteristically distant and unreadable. Though Zelda was confused about what had brought Link back from the brink of death and unnerved by his odd manner, she watched in awe nonetheless as he backed up strategically away from the statue-like Deity. When he was a good distance away, the hero started racing forward, his sword brandished as he leapt high into the air and brought it down on the Deity's chest, completely shattering his armor and knocking him to the ground in defeat.

Upon seeing Link strike the Deity down, Terminus was broken out of her melancholy and remembered the task at hand. She gasped in surprise and slight distress as she watched her former hero fall, but she knew that it was for the best. Knowing that she only had a brief time to make her move as the barrier around the battle field faded away, Terminus nodded to Zelda and they both rushed towards the Deity and the hero. Zelda stopped short for a moment however as she watched Link draw his blade out of the Deity's chest. There were two specific things that unnerved her; the first was the fact that the Great Fairy's Sword was painted with the color of the blood of Terminus's former hero, which was pearl white instead of red for some strange reason. And the second was Link's still blank and stone-cold expression, his light blue eyes not seeming to focus on anything at all. As Terminus continued to hurry towards her hero, Zelda slowly approached her own hero, knowing that something must be wrong with him, but having no idea what it could possibly be. Taking in a deep breath, she moved to stand in front of him and gazed into his face after taking a brief glance at the cut on his chest. He didn't so much as look at her, much to her confusion. Biting her lip nervously, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder, thinking and hoping that he was perhaps simply in deep thought. "Link?" she whispered tentatively and the moment she did, the hero gasped and opened his eyes wide, collapsing to his knees and groaning in agony from the extreme pain in his chest, apparently returned from whatever trance he appeared to have been in. Zelda lowered herself down to his level and looked into his now focused eyes, still somewhat disturbed by what had just happened, but glad to see that it seemed to be over now. Feeling pity for his obvious misery, she embraced him gently, tears softly flowing from her eyes, knowing that she had been so close to loosing him.

At the same time, Terminus kneeled down near her own hero, who was lying on the ground in defeat and gazed into his unblinking, pure white eyes with grief. A few stray tears slipped down her cheeks as she looked at what he had become against his will and her sorrow only magnified as she watched her sister and her respective hero locked in a warm embrace. She was silent and still for a moment as she watched them, pining to have the love of her own champion back and wishing with all of her heart that she would be able to fall into his arms once more, but knowing that there was good chance that she never would ever again.

"You had me scared to death..." Zelda whispered to Link as they continued to hold each other. "I... I thought you.. I thought you had been... killed..."

The hero didn't answer her immediately, as he was lost in his own racing thoughts. He still felt quite numb, but at least now he was aware of what was happening, unlike he had been when he defeated the Deity. He couldn't remember what had happened at all between the second time he had fallen unconscious and when Zelda had somehow brought him back from it. It was as though something had taken control of him entirely and he had not been in control of his actions whatsoever. He had no idea what it could have been, but whatever its was, it helped him defeat the Deity nonetheless. But even so, Link was still bothered by it and he had an unshakable suspicion that it might overtake him again in the future.

"Zelda..." he moaned quietly, growing weaker from the pain in his chest. "I... I need to tell you something..."

"What?" she immediately responded, glancing at his wound worriedly. It needed attention, and soon, otherwise it could end up killing him after all. ""What is it?"

The hero was about to tell her about what had happened, but he was interrupted by Terminus, who had risen to her feet and had taken the Ocarina of Time out and poised it to play. "Hylia," she said to Zelda. "It is time. We must try to heal the Deity's soul. It is perhaps the only way that we can free him from Majora's evil grip."

Zelda nodded solenmly as she stood, taking out the Goddess's Harp and positioning it. "Follow after me and play this, the Song of Healing," Terminus said as she placed the ocarina to her lips and began to play a slow, calming, yet somewhat morose melody. The instrument echoed the tune across the field in a lovely flow, sounding rich and beautiful. Zelda followed her sister's notes perfectly on the harp, adding the sound of the light strings to the song as its volume grew. Both sacred instruments began to take on a soft glow as they continued to play the duet, and soon enough, that glow was transferred to the Deity. White light enveloped the former hero until it surrounded him completely, and as the Song of Healing reached its full crescendo, the light flashed and when it had faded, the Fierce Deity was completely gone.

With their healing melody finished, the two sisters put their respective instruments aside. Wanting to make sure that Link was still alright, Zelda hurried over to him and kneeled down beside him, putting a supportive arm around him and checking over his wound briefly before looking back to Terminus. The goddess of Termina had her gaze fixated on the now sunny sky above or rather at the small ball of light that hung several feet above her. Tears started to fall from her saddened green eyes once more as she shook her head in dejection. "It is too late..." she whispered in grief. "Majora had corrupted every part of his spirit... We cannot restore him..." She sighed and hung her head for a moment, before looking to the light that was representative of her hero's lost soul. "But, at the very least, he is free from the demon's control..." With her eyes still filled with tears, Terminus raised her hands towards the light and it began to flow towards them. The goddess looked down as the light touched her outstretched hands and flashed brightly for a moment, before fading to reveal a mask bearing the face of the Fierce Deity. She lowered the mask and gazed into its empty eyes with heartbreak, knowing that she would never have her hero back again. "It is done..." she said in immense sorrow, clutching the Fierce Deity's Mask against her chest tightly. "My hero... is no more..."

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**Ooooooo! That was full of action, huh? But again, it was kinda short, so sorry about that... Anyway, I don't really have a ton to say... The next chapter is going to be mostly plot development along with some emotions... But there will be more action in later chapters if you like that, so you can look forward to that. Oh, and if you're wondering what Terminus's hero looked like before he was transformed into the Fierce Deity... I guess just do what I did and picture SS Link with brown hair and green eyes. So yeah, that's pretty much it. Leave a REVIEW as usual and thanks again for all of the support! You guys are making me feel like a huge success already, and we're not even five chapters in yet! XD Until Next Time!**


	5. Terminus and the Deity

_Ok folks... Sorry about how unusually long this one took... You can blame the return of the dreaded writer's block, something that has not hit me since before I started writing the climax of Wisdom and Courage. I knew it wouldn't last forever... T_T Anyway, thank you to supersmach, Lovely girl 10, and This is not a name for following or favoriting (or both!)_

_Now, for some review responses:_

**ShadowNinja1011-**_Um... Ok...? :)_

**Vocaloid302-**_Don't worry, there's gonna be a TON of LinkxZelda shipping later on! Its gonna be passionate, adorable, and pretty much any other word you could use to describe it! And, I ship them pretty hard too in SS... then again, the game kinda already does that for us ;D_

**TheSpiritMaiden**_-Well... I suppose that Hylia is the goddess of time in Hyrule, but maybe Terminus is the goddess of time for Termina? After all, I would kinda explain why the Song of Time works like it does in Termina as opposed to how it works in Hyrule...? Anyway, yeah I got the whole timeshift stone Ocarina of Time thing from Hyrule Historia (one of my most valued resources when it comes to Zelda facts!) As for Terminus' name, I got that idea from the internet. Terminus is actually a real Latin word that means "end", and, according to some scource I read, its from that word that the word Termina is actuall derived from. So yay for real world word play! XD And the end of you review kinda forshadowed something that is gonna be brought up in this very chapter! Haha! But you'll have to read on to find out what! ;)_

**Zelink005**_-Yeah, Terminus and her hero are pretty tragic, aren't they? I hate to say it, but their tragic saga does not have a happy ending... at least not in this story! But hey, maybe I'll tie things up for them in Light and Shadow, who knows? its a long way off, but it is something to think about... ;)_

**Mekuda**_-THANKS! hahaha lol. Yeah, I kinda suprised myself with Terminus... she is a pretty complex character now that I think about it... probaply the most interesting OC I've ever written... then again, I don't usually write OCs in my stories... hm... I'm glad that she's being well recieved though! :D _

_And that is it, my beautiful readers! Let us begin!_

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_Chapter 4: Terminus and the Deity_

A solemn, prolonged silence settled upon Termina Field in the wake of the Deity's defeat. Terminus still clung onto the mask that bore semblance to her former hero, gazing longingly into its empty face as she began to weep softly. The sound of her quiet crying was the only thing that could be heard across the field for several minutes as she mourned the loss of her once-beloved hero. Unable to do much else at the moment, Link and Zelda glanced at each other sadly, moved with pity for the goddess of Termina in all of her sorrow.

"You loved him... didn't you?" Zelda asked her sister gently, finally breaking through the stillness of the area.

Terminus remained quiet for a moment as she stared at the mask, before a small, yet sad smile crossed her face. "I did..." she said wistfully. "And he loved me... From the moment we first met, we were both smitten with each other. We used to spend many happy hours walking through these fields, hand-in-hand, without a care in the world. Never before had I encountered a mortal who was so dear to my heart. It was as though our souls were as one... but now it feels as though a piece of my own soul has been severed along with his." Sighing, she hung her head in grief as she continued softly. "Perhaps it was not the will of the fates for us to be together... After all, how happy could we have been? I am a goddess and he was a mortal... Our kinds are not meant to mix..."

As Terminus said this a sudden wave of worry came over Zelda. She realized that her situation was quite similar to this, but at the same time, it was very different. Like her twin, she was indeed a goddess of ancient times, but at the same time, she was also a mortal. For the first time since she gained the goddess's memories, Zelda realized that she wasn't really one person any more, but rather two separate beings entirely. She had the scattered, distant memories and some of the more simple powers of the goddess Hylia, but she had been born as the mortal Zelda, who had different, yet complete memories of another life entirely. A life that was more personal to her than Hylia's ever could be. And yet, ever since she had found out that she was the goddess reborn, it was as though those two lives seemed to conflict with each other. She hadn't really thought about it until now, but recently her dreams had been of the goddess's past than her own and her thoughts and ideas often seemed to mirror Hylia's instead of coming from her own mind. Zelda regularly tried to suppress it, not wanting to loose who she used to be before she was Hylia, but she couldn't hide away what was ultimately another part of herself. It was a plight that only she could ever know, and it was because of this fact that she often felt isolated from her friends and family, those who only really knew her as Zelda, but treated her with heightened respect now since they found out that she was also Hylia. But even so, there was one person who didn't care that she was part goddess. Someone who still treated her like he had ever since the two of them had simply been childhood friends, before she discovered that she was Hylia and before he found out that he was her chosen hero. And, as she glanced over at Link, still cringing in pain from his chest wound, she bit her lip in sudden nervousness. There was no question that she cared for him deeply, perhaps even as much as Terminus had cared for her own hero. Though she had kept it a secret from everybody, even him, Zelda knew that she had always liked him more than just a friend, even before the surface incident. When she was younger, she used to innocently dream of the two of them sharing a romantic relationship one day. But if what Terminus had said was true, now that she knew she was part goddess, was such a relationship something she could really hope to peruse? Could her and Link really be able to find happiness together considering their differing statuses? Was it something that just wasn't meant to be?

"But perhaps this is for the best..." Terminus went on after another moment of silence. "My duty is to this land... It safety and prosperity were entrusted to me by the goddesses themselves. It must be my first priority above all else. Now I can concentrate on helping this land heal itself After all, my hero no longer suffers under the bonds of Majora's evil will. Though he cannot be restored to his former self, his heroic spirit still endures, yet so does the great power granted to him by the demon. Such power is far too dangerous to keep in the grasp of man... That is why I have sealed the spirit of the Deity away into this mask. In such a way, his spirit will still exist to endlessly peruse justice, and perhaps someday, if this land faces danger again, his incredible strength may be used to aid Termina in a future time..." The goddess smiled genuinely as she stood and lifted the mask into the air. A soft glow began to form around it as Terminus continued. "To ensure that it is not misused, the mask will remain within my care for all time." As she said this, the Fierce Deity's Mask vanished into thin air, the spirit of her former hero entering into the watchful protection of the goddess of Termina.

With the mask gone out of sight, Terminus turned to Link and Zelda and smiled gratefully at them. "I cannot thank the two of you enough for your assistance," she said kindly. "If you had not come along, then Majora certainly would have had its way with both me and my hero. And though my hero is gone, this land will see peace once more... for a time." Terminus's warm smile suddenly faded when she noticed that Link was still suffering from his large, deep wound, barely conscious from the crippling pain. Feeling great pity for the hero who had saved her land, she kneeled down in front of him and Zelda, looking into his exhusted blue eyes. "Please," she said softly. "Allow me to heal that for you. It is the least I can do after all you have done for me."

Link simply nodded wearily, in too much pain to even speak. Within the past few short minutes, the heavily bleeding cut had taken its toll; the loss of blood had weakened him so much that the only reason he was still sitting up was thanks to Zelda supporting him. Clearly seeing this, Terminus rose to her feet once more and moved to stand behind him, gently placing both of her hands on his back as they took on a soft golden glow. A warm, healing comfort shot through the hero, filling him with instant soothing relief. As Terminus worked her healing magic, Zelda moved to kneel down in front of him, taking his hands to help speed the process along.

"Hey," she said quietly with a soft smile. "Are you gonna be OK?"

The hero gave her a reassuring smile and a nod as the pain began to subside thanks to Terminus's rejuvenating powers. Concentrating on her work, the goddess sealed the cut up and took the pain away, but neither Link nor Zelda saw her eyes grow wide in sudden surprise and her mouth open in shock as she noticed something very unnerving and familiar about the wound.

"You know..." Zelda continued as she glanced down at their intertwined hands. "I've never seen you fight like that before. You were so... so fierce."

As she said this, Terminus's eyes grew even wider as she realized exactly what had happened to the hero in the battle. And, as she look down to him and her sister, she frowned worriedly, knowing that Zelda could not know about it, but nonetheless, Link had to know.

The hero also frowned, knowing that he didn't defeat the Deity on his own. "Zelda..." he said, finally feeling strong enough to speak once more. "There's something important I need to tell you... I-"

"Finished!" Terminus broke in hastily, purposely interrupting him. "How are you feeling, Link?"

"Much better," the hero said with a smile as Zelda helped him to his feet. "Thank you."

"I should be thanking you," the goddess said warmly, though there was still a trace of worry in her eyes. "Now that Majora's influence has vanished from this land, I can ensure its complete protection, even though my powers have faded over the years. When we part ways, I will send my four guardian giants out to the four corners of this land to watch over its people. Their budding civilizations may now grow and prosper in peace, and that fact alone brings joy to my aching heart. And so, to show my appreciation for this great favor that the two of you have done for me, I would like to reward you both as much as I am able."

"Oh, Terminus, you don't have to," Zelda said with a slight wave of the hand.

"Ah, but I insist," her sister said with a cheerful grin. "After all, its the least I can do. Now I know that its not much, but Link, I would be very honored if you kept the Great Fairy's Sword. Its edges will never dull and it can cut through any armor, not matter how thick or magical. I trust that you will use its mystical strength well. And as for you Zelda, my dearest sister, I would like you to take this," The goddess held out her hands to reveal the Ocarina of Time, its beautiful, blue surface shimmering in the late afternoon sunshine. Zelda hesitantly reached out to take it, knowing that it was her sister's treasured possession but not wanting to decline her warm hospitality. However, the moment she touched it, its already soft glow grew even brighter as a silver band formed around the mouth piece of the instrument, bearing the mark of the Triforce. Terminus smiled as her twin took it fully, knowing the significance of this. "The crest of the golden power is a sign that the goddesses intended for the Ocarina of Time and the Goddess's Harp to be together from their creation. They gave it to me ages ago, in the hopes that the two of us would reunite and that both instruments would be used to protect the Triforce. The people of this land no longer have access to the golden relic, and I don't think they ever will again. Now the Triforce rests in your land, Hylia. My hope is that this gift will help you keep it from falling into the wrong hands... and that it will serve as a reminder of this land and I. Please, take it."

Zelda returned her smile as she embraced her sister in thanks for the ocarina, silently promising her that she would do everything in her power to keep it safe from harm. However, once they broke apart, Terminus' expression changed from blithe to serious as her smile faded. "Hylia..." she said to Zelda, though her gaze was directed at Link. "If you don't mind... might I have a word with your hero in private?"

Zelda and Link exchanged a brief glance, and though the girl was a bit confused she smiled and nodded, not suspecting that something was wrong like her sister and her hero did. "Of course," she said as she took her leave to give them a few moments of privacy, though she was naturally curious about what was going on. _Maybe Terminus just wants to thank him some more by himself._.. Zelda thought as she walked away from them. Whatever the reason for her sister's odd and sudden request, she wasn't too bothered with it. Most likely, it wasn't that big of a deal, so why worry about it?

As soon as Terminus saw that Zelda was out of earshot, she turned to face the hero, her manner grave and somber. "Link, I must ask you something very important," she said tensely. "After you were wounded by the Deity, did you notice or feel anything... strange?"

Link nodded solemnly, hoping that Terminus could fill in the blanks about what happened to him during the battle. "Yes," he said, thinking back to the unnerving experience. "I can't remember it exactly though... I was both hot and cold at the same time, and it was like someone was saying something to me that I couldn't really understand. And then... I guess I blacked out..."

"Were you aware of what was happening after that?" Terminus asked, a look of worry clear on her face.

"No, not at all," the hero answered. "Not until Zelda brought me out of it somehow."

The goddess of Termina sighed sadly as she looked down to the ground. "Then it is as I feared..." she said quietly, her voice morose and woeful. "Link, there is something very important that I must warn you about. Something that even I could have never foreseen when I asked you to battle the Deity..." She took in a deep breath before continuing. "I believe that Majora let you defeat the Deity."

"Why would it do that?" he asked, wondering why the demon would let him take down its strongest servant so easily.

Terminus closed her eyes for a moment, dreading what she knew she had to tell him. "Because," she said, looking him straight in the eyes. "Majora has found a better vessel to house its powers in... You..."

"What?" the hero asked, confused and taken aback by this revelation.

The goddess sighed once more, as she fought back her pressing tears of guilt. "I noticed it while I was healing your wound," she began. "I suspect that during the battle, Majora, still commanding the Deity to attack, sensed that you were a formidable opponent, one with a spirit much stronger than my hero's. Majora wanted to claim your spirit as its own like it had with my hero and so, it forced the Deity to wound you. But this was no normal wound. The demon used the Deity's blade to fill you with its corruption. Because it no longer had use for the Deity, Majora pervaded your senses and took over your physical being, forcing you to defeat him. However, unlike my hero, you were able to break free from the demon's control and return to yourself. But... I am afraid that you are still not free from Majora's corruption. That wound will not go away, even though I healed it the best I could. The Song of Healing did nothing to rid you of it and neither did my powers. Majora knows that if it can fully corrupt you like it did my hero, then you will make a much stronger servant for its dark designs than the even the Deity was. Because of your strong spirit, Majora could not overtake you immediately. And so now, it intends to do so gradually. It wants to spread its influence to every part of your soul until you belong to it entirely. At the moment, its reigns of corruption are wrapped around you loosely, but they will tighten and tighten until you are lost completely, replaced by what will ultimately be another Fierce Deity..."

Link was silent for a moment after Terminus finished her explanation, simply trying to take it all in. He understood well everything she had told him, and he believed her, but he was having trouble trying to come to grips with it. The fact that he could fall victim to the same fate that Terminus's hero had no doubt frightened him. From the way that the goddess spoke, this was something that was going to happen no matter what. Which meant that he only had an indefinite amount of time left before Majora would take over him completely and certainly, the unrelenting demon would force him to commit horrendous acts against his will, perhaps even hurt those he cared about, including Zelda. And as he realized this, the hero knew that he couldn't let that happen. Even if it was for Zelda's sake more than his own, Link vowed to himself that he was going to do everything in his power to keep himself from being corrupted. No matter how difficult it could be, he was determined to overcome this. "Is there any way to stop it?" he asked Terminus, hiding all traces of worry or fear.

She shook her head sadly as a tear finally slipped down her cheek. "None that I know of," she said mournfully. "Majora will not rest until you are fully corrupted. Already it is working tirelessly, trying to pervade your thoughts and actions. Even I do not know how long it will take. I... I am so sorry, Link... This is all my fault. If I had known about Majora's trickery, I never would have even asked you to take on the Deity. I see now that this was not your fight; it was mine, but I had been too weak to win it on my own. And now, because of my weakness, another noble hero must suffer Majora's corruption..."

"Its not your fault," he said consolingly. "After all, none of us could have known. And besides, I'm not going to go down without a fight."

"This isn't something that you can just fight away, Link," Terminus said, feeling more guilty than ever. "I admire your will, but this is unlike anything you have every faced before. The spirit of my hero was exceedingly strong, but Majora managed to corrupt even him. Yours is stronger, yes, but that won't be enough to save you from it. As much as it pains me to say this, the chances of you coming out of this are almost nonexistent. I am so sorry..."

As Terminus continued to weep softly in grief and pity for his plight, Link's determination to survive this impending corruption grew stronger than ever, despite the goddess clearly saying that he would not make it. The hero refused to believe that there was no hope. There had to be a way, and he was going to find that way, not matter how long it took. "We have to tell Zelda about this," he said, turning to go get her before being stopped by Terminus grasping his arm.

"No, you can't!" she cried fearfully. "Please, for her own good, she cannot know about this."

"She has a right to know," Link said, glancing over at the girl as she stood several feet away from them. For as long as he and Zelda had been friends, they had never hidden anything from each other, and the hero certainly did not intend to leave her in the dark about something so important.

"Link... I am asking you to keep this a secret from her," Terminus insisted, her green eyes forlorn and pained. "You could not possibly know how much pain it brought my heart as I watched my own hero fall into Majora's corruption. I could not bear for my beloved sister to go through the same suffering I had. I know that you care for her deeply as well. If she knew that this was happening to you... it would certainly break her heart. Do you want her to know the same grief that I know?"

The hero took in a deep breath, knowing that she was right. He couldn't possibly do that to Zelda. He couldn't let her suffer like that and he wasn't going to. He nodded in agreement with Termina, knowing that he had to keep this dark secret from his best friend for her own sake, as much as he didn't want to lie to her. "Fine," he said, looking over in Zelda's direction once more. "But she's going to find out eventually."

"I know..." Terminus sighed. "But for now, you must at the very least, try to maintain a sense of normality. Try to keep her happy for the time being so she will have something to look back on. Perhaps it will do you some good as well. The corruption is in its very weak, beginning stages now but it can only advance from there. The only advice I can really give you now is be careful. Again... I cannot apologize enough for what has happened. If there was any way I could fix this, believe me, I would."

Link simply nodded solemnly, knowing that Terminus was sincere. With nothing more to say on the matter, the two of them reunited with Zelda, both of them keeping a straight face to give off the guise that nothing was wrong, when, in reality, there was a problem that none of them could really fix. Zelda, however, wasn't oblivious. When she noticed that the hero was avoiding eye contact with her from the moment they regrouped, she immediately gained the idea that something was amiss. "What's wrong?" she whispered to him as he came to stand beside her again.

"Nothing," Link said as casually as he could.

"Are you sure?" she persisted, not buying his false calm. "You seem kinda tense... What did you and Terminus talk about?"

"Um... Nothing that important," he lied, feeling incredibly guilty. Part of him feared that Zelda, who could see through pretty much anything, would catch on and find out on her own and another part of him worried that he'd slip up and accidentally tell her. But he had resolved to hide it from her, for her own good. And he was going to stand by that, no matter how hard she pressured him or how much his own guilt got to him.

Zelda frowned, wanting to question him about it more, but deciding to drop it for the moment as Terminus spoke to the two of them again. "Well, I suppose it is time for us to part ways," she said with a gentle smile. "After all, whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow. However, that parting need not last forever. Whether a parting be forever or merely for a short time... That is up to you..."

Zelda returned her smile as she embraced her sister, sad to leave her but knowing that her and Link had return to their own land. "I'm sure we'll come back someday," she said kindly. "Thank you, Terminus. For everything."

Terminus's smile faded slightly as she met eyes with Link in the midst of their hug. The two of them shared the same expression of dread and guilt, but they dared not let Zelda see. "No, thank you, my sister," Terminus whispered to her. "I am glad that, after all these years, our bond has not faded. I pray that you find happiness with your hero. More happiness than I was able to find with mine... Hylia... or Zelda, rather... I implore you to enjoy what you have, while you still have it. You never know when it might be gone..." She said as their hug disbanded, nodding silently to Link as a hint to her twin. Zelda followed her gaze and immediately realized what Terminus was trying to tell her. And she knew that her sister was right; she didn't know how long she would have her hero for. Perhaps they would have each other for only a little longer or for many years into the future, but Zelda knew that for however long they had left, she had to make sure that he knew how she felt. And, she intended to start showing him as soon as possible.

"The forest will open a path up to the two of you that shall guide you home," Terminus said as the couple turned to leave. "Again, I cannot thank both of you enough. May the graces of the golden goddesses carry you both!"

Zelda and Link both said their goodbyes to Terminus as they took in one last glimpse of her strange, yet intriguing land. The goddess was true to her word as a clear path extended out before them, leading the way back to their native home. As they walked through the deep woods, Zelda unceremoniously slipped her hand into Link's, who was still in deep thought about everything Terminus had told him. But even so, he glanced down at their intertwined hands and couldn't help but smile a little, letting a little of his worry ease away as the two of them headed for home at a comfortable pace, both of them gradually moving closer together until they were barely even a few inches apart. They remained like this, in a calm and collected silence, even as they broke out of the woods and returned to the surface they knew, both of them savoring a blissful peace that could really only be temporary anymore.

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**Ok guys! What did ya think? was the wait worth it? I just happened to establish several subplots in this chapter that will be central to the drama later on, so keep em in mind! Oh, and if any of you are wondering if Terminus is going to make a reappearance in the story later on, I can promise you that she will! But for the next few chapters, why don't we bring in some Skyward Sword characters, huh? After all, that is the game this story is based on... though with all these Majora's Mask references, it might be kinda confusing! So for the next few chapters things are kinda gonna be pretty chill, with some romance, a little bit of fluff, some foreshadowing, some angst, maybe even a little humor! That's all i gotta say for this time, except for please don't forget to REVIEW! Until Next Time! ;D**


	6. Where to Start

_Ok... So I have a tiny apology to make... I had this chapter finished last night, but I was unable to upload it because my internet connection was on the fritz... whatcha gonna do? Anyway, I had also originally intended for this chapter to be like a LOT longer, but then I realized that it was already long enough so I decided to split it in half. Also, this is mostly a fluff, romance development chapter... so yeah, if you were looking for plot development, there won't be much of it here... :P sorry! But i needed some more development! Anyway, thanks WolfRunner326 for following and favoriting! Now onto the reviews!_

**WolfRunner362**_-SS is my favorite Zelda game EVER! And MM is pretty awesome too XD _

**Zelink005**_-Yeah, I just couldn't rationalize not finishing the story with Terminus and the Deity, but I didn't want to do it here. Otherwise, how would the element of the Fierce Deity work in Wisdom and Courage and Light and Shadow! Anyway, enjoy the fluff and romance in this chapter!_

**ShadowNinja1011**_-Thanks! XD_

**Mekuda**_-The Ocarina of Time is definitely going to have an important part to play in this story later on! ;D And Zelda's conflict with the goddess's personality is going to be one of the many plot points that I intend to develop throughout the story (And believe me when I say there are at least 12 subplots in this story!)_

**BlueFrenchHorn97**_-Thanks! I can't wait to develop how its going to go so I hope you enjoy!_

_And with that out of the way, let's get started!_

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_Chapter 5: Where to Start_

_Surface mornings are amazing..._ Zelda thought as she stood alone atop the hands of the Statue of the Goddess, looking over the glorious landscape from her high vantage point. It was certainly true; for as far as she could see, the world was draped in both the shadows of a dying night and the light of a newborn dawn. Faron Woods stretched out in almost every direction in front of her, the lush leaves of its foliage dancing in the lofty breeze. Right below her was the ancient Sealed Temple, its stone roof caved opened in many places and its withered surface overgrown with vines. Zelda smiled slightly as she looked down at the temple, knowing that Link was in there, sleeping peacefully as he always did at this early hour. By the time the two of them had gotten back to the temple the previous day upon their return from Termina, it was almost sunset and both of them were weary from traveling. Taking this as an excuse to turn in early, they fell asleep almost as soon as they walked inside.

Zelda's smile faded however when she thought back to what Terminus had said before they left:_ "Enjoy what you have while you still have it. You never know when it might be gone._" As much as she had tried, she just couldn't get those words out of her head and every time she thought about them, a tight knot formed in her stomach. The source of her nervousness didn't come from her fear of what Link might think about how she felt; rather, it came from the fact that she wasn't really sure how she felt herself. There was no question that she cared more about him than probably anyone else and that by this point, they weren't really just friends any more. After all, they were basically living together, alone, miles below any other human that could interrupt them. But, they had never done anything; they hadn't even so much as fully kissed yet. They closest they had ever gotten was a simple tight hug or a light, flirtatious kiss on the cheek. It wasn't like they were too young to avoid those sort of things any more. After all, they were both seventeen, quickly going on eighteen. In Skyloft, they were now easily considered to be young adults rather than older kids. So... what was holding either of them back?

The answer to that, or at least in Zelda's opinion, was because she didn't want them to loose the close companionship that they had always had since they were kids. What if being in a serious relationship would change what they always had? What if it changed both of them? She wanted to be with him, she really did. She wanted more than just simple hand holding and hugging. She wanted to be able to call him her boyfriend and for him to be able to call her his girlfriend. She wanted him to hold her in his strong arms and kiss her passionately. But were her expectations of a relationship actually true? Growing up in Skyloft, Zelda had seen many young couples get together, only for the two of them to split up not long after and never speak to each other again. She knew that she couldn't risk the chance of never talking to Link again. She didn't know what she would do without him. The thought of not having him around simply because of something as silly as a petty argument would be almost as bad as not having him around because of something happening to him. But, then again, the two of them had been best friends pretty much forever. They rarely ever fought, and when they did, they normally made up immediately. But, would being in a relationship increase their chances of fighting due to the fact that their emotions would be running much higher?

Zelda shook her head in worry, the light of the shimmering Triforce nearby casting a soft glow on her slender form. How could they possibly make this work? And, more importantly, did Link want this as much as she did? The last thing Zelda wanted to do was to throw her heart out to him only for him to throw it back. What she really wanted was for him to tell her first. After all, it was tradition for the guy to tell the girl that he wanted to go out with her. Maybe she just had to wait for him to ask her. But, knowing Link, that could take a long time. Perhaps, if he felt the same way, then he was just as nervous about it as she was. Maybe he just needed a little push. And, Zelda theorized, the best way to give him that push was to give him the idea that she was all for it too. She wasn't just going to outright tell him that she wanted to be with him. Rather, she intended to show him every chance she got from this moment on.

"Zelda!" Link calling out to her from below broke through her train of thoughts. She looked down to him, staring up at her from the ground and she smiled, waving to him. Without a word, she gracefully leaped off of the goddess's hands and floated down towards him with the sailcloth, her dark pink dress flittering in the breeze.

"Hey," she greeted once she landed. "You're up early."

"Well, I didn't really sleep that great last night..." the hero admitted, though he had no intention of telling her why.

Zelda inclined her head as she frowned. "Really?" she raised an eyebrow at him. "Before we went to bed last night, you told me you were exhausted! You were even out before me and I saw you, sleeping like a baby." She flashed him a teasing grin as she rocked back and forth on her feet, twirling some of her hair with her finger.

Link avoided her questioning gaze, remembering Terminus's words. The true reason why he had trouble sleeping the previous night was because he had been been up thinking about her grave warning. It still seemed so surreal to him and yet the threat of corruption was very real. Though nothing strange had happened since they were in Termina, the hero had a sense that something bad was going to happen and soon. It was as though he could feel it in the air. It had been something he had gradually gained during his journeys across the surface; a sort of sixth sense that helped him know if danger was near. It was a feeling a lingering tension and unease and this time, it wouldn't go away. But even so, he couldn't let Zelda catch on. Even if he hadn't promised Terminus that he wouldn't tell her, he knew he wouldn't be able to bear the distraught emotions she would definitely show if he did. And so, he simply shrugged and showed little signs of worry as he said, "I guess I wasn't as tired as I thought."

Zelda was still frowning, knowing that after the arduous battle that he had been in yesterday, he should have gotten more rest. In fact, she had even planned to let him sleep in uninterrupted, but he had woken up all on his own, a rare sight that she certainly wasn't used to. "Ok then..." she said with slight suspicion as the two of them headed inside the temple. "How is your cut? I know Terminus healed it yesterday, but... do you mind if I check it out, just to make sure its really OK?"

Link's eyes grew wide at this request, fearing that she would find something that would give him away. "Zel... you don't have to..." he said, backing away from her slightly.

"Why not?" she asked with a mischievous glint in her dark blue eyes. "Are you hiding something from me, Mr. Hero?"

"N-no! Its... Its just..."

"Just what?"

The hero sighed in defeat, knowing that she was determined. And when Zelda had he mind set on something, there was no arguing with her. "Fine..." he said, bracing himself for the worst.

"Ok then," the girl said with a flirtatious smirk. "Take it off."

"Take what off?"

"Your shirt, silly!" she laughed as she watched his cheeks suddenly grow red. "How else am I supposed to check it?!"

He said nothing as he hesitantly slipped his tunic off, followed by his undershirt to reveal his bare chest. Zelda smiled in satisfaction as she stepped forward to inspect the wound. Luckily for Link, Terminus had reduced it to nothing more than a long scar, but the hero knew that something much more ominous laid beyond it. But nonetheless, Zelda gently ran a finger down the length of the scar, noticing how well it had healed. Once she was done, she let her eyes wander to the rest of his form and smiled wistfully. _Goddesses, he's so handsome.._. she thought in slight awe as she ran her hands down his chest, knowing that it was firm, lean and toned from the many fights he had been in. It was marked it a few other, smaller scars from different battles in the past, but in Zelda's opinion, they made him even more attractive. Link instantly relaxed upon her soft touch, her hands feeling warm and comforting on his skin as she slowly ran them up and down. All worries of being corrupted left his mind as he closed his eyes, enjoying the pleasant sensation.

"Hm..." Zelda said quietly a moment later.

"What's wrong?" the hero asked, opening one eye to glance at her.

"Oh nothing..." she smiled. "I just realized how strong you've gotten over the past few months... I don't remember you being this incredibly fit before we came down here..."

"Well, I guess battle changes people..." he said in the same low tone she was using.

"I don't want you to change," she said, pressing her chest against his as she took his hands. "I like you just the way you are."

Neither of them said anything else as they stood there, looking into each other's eyes. Zelda's soft smile widened as she noted that, like his perfect build, his face was also noticeably handsome. His sharp, but also gentle features accentuated his eyes, which were the color of the endless blue skies above Skyloft. Slowly reaching a hand up, she smoothly brushed aside some of his sandy blonde hair away from his eyes so she could get a better look at them. But as she did so, her heart fell as he let go of her hand, but when he slowly wrapped his strong arms around her it leaped in joy.

As Zelda look in the full scope of Link's good looks, he also took in hers. In his eyes, she had always been beautiful, but it seemed that more recently, her beauty had grown to incomparable levels. Her deep, shining sapphire eyes were soft and youthful, but at the same time, intelligent and watchful. Her full, soft pink lips stood out against her fine, flawless skin that wasn't too pale, but not dark either. Her soft, yet mature curves fit perfectly against him as she stood a little less than a half a foot shorter than him, but the fact that she was rather short made her all the more adorable to him. As she brushed his hair aside, he did the same for her, moving away a few strands of her sunshine golden bangs so he could fully enjoy her radiance.

For the longest time, the two of them just stood there, holding onto each other in a comfortable silence, listening to the sounds of birdsong and the wind echoing through the temple from outside. Gradually, they began to move their faces closer together, both of their minds completely blank. However, as their lips were only inches apart from touching, they both hesitated and came back to their senses. Simultaneously, they both let go of each other and took a step backwards, both of them silently scolding themselves for not following through.

_Goddess! What is wrong with me!?_ Zelda screamed at herself in anger as she watched Link put his shirt back on, wondering why in the world she didn't kiss him. After all, wasn't this exactly what she wanted? To be caught up in the moment and fall into a romantic, tender kiss? The opportunity had presented itself to both of them, but they had both backed down for some unknown reason. But even so, the girl was determined to not falter the next time she found such a perfect opportunity... if they ever got that opportunity again.

Likewise, Link was also frustrated with himself, knowing that he should have been bolder. He should have been more confident. If anything, he should have pulled Zelda into his arms a long time ago and done this. He had wanted to kiss her ever since the two of them had decided to stay on the surface together. And he almost had, if not for that one moment of doubt. He was almost tempted to turn to her and draw her in right now, but it was already too late. The mood had been shattered and it just wouldn't be as sincere. No, if this was going to happen, it had to happen right. It had to be real for both of them.

They were both silent for quiet some time as they sat down beside each other on the steps of the low platform within the middle of the temple. Neither one of them wanted to admit how embarrassed and ashamed they were and so they remained in a stated silence, waiting for the other one to speak of something totally off-subject.

Zelda's mind continued to fume in frustration as she sat there, her arms crossed and her mouth set in a tight line. She didn't even bother to so much as glance over at Link, even though she was in no way angry with him. Already her plan was failing. How was she going to show him how she felt if they kept having ruined moments like that? If she didn't do this soon, then she knew she was going to loose him, just as Terminus had said. After all, he was very handsome, as she well knew. She already knew than many girls in Skyloft often gawked over him, much to her annoyance. But perhaps that was exactly what she needed to do... Maybe she needed to show other people that they were a couple first and then the rest would follow. A small smile crossed the girl's face as she finalized her idea and without a moment to loose, she set it in motion.

"Hey Link," she said, her tone bright and bubbly as it usually was.

"Yeah?" he said, trying hard not to sound disappointed.

"Why don't we go up to Skyloft for the day?" she suggested. "After all, we haven't been up there since last week. I'm sure Father wants to see me and we do need to get some more supplies."

"Sounds good to me," the hero agreed, glad that she had avoided the topic of their failed kiss.

Not spending another moment idle, the two of them headed for the nearest bird statue, located behind the Sealed Temple conveniently enough. They both rode up together in the swirling vortex of wind that carried them above the cloud barrier and when it let them go, they both immediately called for their Loftwings. The small city in the sky grew larger as the couple flew closer to it, their birds never straying more than a few feet apart. They landed in the plaza, the few citizens mulling about it mostly oblivious to their arrival.

"Come on!" Zelda said cheerfully, grabbing onto Link's hand as she began to pull him up the path to the Knight Academy. "We don't have all day!"

"Well actually Zel, we do," the hero joked with a sly grin.

"Oh hush!" The girl turned to give him a slightly annoyed look but leaded him along the path nonetheless. Along the way, she held onto his hand tightly, showing no signs of letting go, much to Link's curiosity. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy holding her hand; they did it all of the time down on the surface, But, they had never really done it up in Skyloft before. The hero wasn't really bothered by it, but he did wonder why she had suddenly started now. Perhaps it had something to due with their attempted kiss... He put his mind away from that sour topic as he met her eyes, staring dreamily into his. Now that was odd. Link had no idea why Zelda was acting so strange all of the sudden and chances were, knowing her, he wouldn't get much of a chance to find out.

* * *

Link stood outside of the academy as he watched a group of Loftwings fly overhead, his mind swimming in thoughts of Zelda. He was alone, since the girl was currently visiting with her father, telling him of all the recent happenings on the surface. The hero couldn't help but frown as he stared off into the early afternoon sky. He still couldn't believe how very close they had been to kissing earlier that day! He had wanted to so badly, but at the most crucial moment, he had hesitated. _Some "hero" I am..._ he thought in annoyance with himself. _I can't even kiss a girl!_ But, on the other hand, Zelda was no mere girl to him. She was his best friend and closest companion. They had always been there for each other, through thick and thin, and Link knew that he'd do pretty much anything for her. So if that was the case, why was it so hard to tell her how he felt? After all, he knew that he might not have forever to do it anymore. Despite his resolve to fight against it, there was still a very real chance that he could be corrupted. And, if the unthinkable really did happen, he had to make sure that she knew how he felt before it did. He couldn't leave her alone without letting her know and he wasn't going to.

"Hey Link!" an upbeat greeting broke the hero out of his thoughts as he turned to see Pipit, a student who was a year head of him at the academy, approaching him. "How's the surface?"

"Hi Pipit," Link said with a half-hearted smile. "Its good..."

"Hey now, what's the matter?" the yellow-clad knight said, noticing his slight melancholy.

"Nothing's wrong," the hero insisted, even though he knew he was lying.

"No, something is. I can tell from the look on your face. Let me guess... its about Zelda, isn't it?"

Link sighed in defeat, knowing that pretty much anyone could have guessed that. "Yeah..." he said with a frown.

"I knew it!" Pipit grinned proudly. "So, have you asked her out yet?"

"No..." the hero admitted somewhat sheepishly. "Not yet..."

"Seriously!? But the two of you have been living together on the surface for weeks! How have you guys not hooked up by now!?"

"Well... um.. I don't know... I guess the topic really hasn't come up yet..."

"Hasn't come up yet?" Pipit repeated, an edge of joking challenge in his tone. "You mean you're too afraid to ask her, aren't you?"

"No," Link said firmly. "I'm not afraid. Its just... We haven't found a good moment for it." He mentally scolded himself when he said that though, knowing that they had a perfectly good moment this morning but it ended up being a failure all the same.

The knight smirked, though there was understanding in his eyes. "Listen Link," he said. "If you want my advice, then just do what I did when I asked Karane out. Just go out there and tell her how you feel. And if you're worried about finding the right moment, then tonight might just be perfect for it."

"What's tonight?"

"There's a party being held for students of the academy at the Lumpy Pumpkin," Pipit explained. "There will be dinner, dancing, all of that good stuff. Why don't you and Zelda go together and then ask her to make your whole dating thing official there?"

"Well, what if she says no?" Link asked, knowing that there was a chance, however small, that this could backfire.

"Why in Skyloft would she say no?" the knight laughed assuredly. "After all, you did safe her life, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah..."

"Then you'll be fine," Pipit grinned. "Well, I gotta get going to get ready for my own date with Karane tonight. See you later Link! And good luck!"

"Bye," the hero said as the knight began to head off. Despite Pipit's helpful advice, Link was still somewhat apprehensive about the whole situation. He wasn't really good at this sort of thing; he never had been. The last thing he wanted was to slip up and say something stupid. He couldn't make a fool of himself in front of Zelda if he intended for them to be together. At the moment, he had no idea how he was going to even go about asking her in the first place. He knew that he didn't have much time and that every minute counted now. He wanted to do this before the corruption really set in so that he'd have one less thing to worry about when he'd have to fight it off sometime in the very near future. But even so, he was anxious. He wanted to get this over with tonight as Pipit had suggested, but there was still one obvious problem. _I don't even know where to start_... the hero thought as he looked up into the skies once more, trying to come up with a plan for something that was infinitely more difficult than anything he had ever done.

* * *

"I don't even know where to start!" Zelda frowned as she sat in her dormitory room with Karane. After Zelda finished up with her father, she had met up with Karane and the two long-time friends decided to chat for a bit, since they hadn't in quite some time. Of course, their conversation quickly arrived at the topic of Zelda's relationship with Link.

"I don't know either, Z..." Karane replied. "I still can't believe he hasn't asked you out yet! I mean, pretty much everyone thinks that you guys are a couple, but you're really not?! That's crazy!"

"Well its not like I don't want us to be, Karane!" Zelda said defensively. "And I'm pretty sure Link wants it too. After all... we almost kissed this morning..."

"Almost?!" the red-haired girl exclaimed. "How do you almost kiss? Its either all or nothing!"

"I know!" Zelda groaned in aggravation. "I don't even know what happened! Everything felt so right... and then... we just... Oh goddesses! Sometimes it feels like this is never going to happen!"

"Oh, it will..." Karane said consolingly. "Don't worry, Zelda. These things always work themselves out. Just look at me and Pipit. I had a crush on him for years and then one day, right out of the blue, he just asked me out!"

"Yeah..." the blonde girl sighed. "But I don't wanna wait any longer... Maybe I should just ask him?"

"No, no, no!" Karane said firmly. "The girl NEVER asks the guy. Its just not normal! You have to wait for him to ask you. That way, you're both sure of what the other one really wants."

"Well I guess that makes sense..." Zelda mused.

"Of course it does. And if you don't want to wait any more... then tonight might just be the perfect opportunity. There's gonna be a party at the Lumpy Pumpkin later on. You both should go together! Maybe he'll ask you then!"

"Yeah!" Zelda said with renewed enthusiasm. "That's it! All we really need is the right mood!"

Karane nodded with a smirk. "Yep. And then, you guys will be the cutest couple in Skyloft... aside from me and Pipit of course."

The two girls shared a giggle as excitement for the upcoming evening began to fill Zelda. If all went according to plan, then her and Link would finally be together, just as she had always dreamed. But she knew well that there was room for error. They had already had a ruined moment earlier that day; what was stopping them from having another one tonight. But Zelda refused to think in failure. She tossed aside all reservations and dedicated herself to making sure that this would be a success. And after everything was said and done, she was certain that the two of them would be happy forever. Everything would finally be perfect.

* * *

**Like I said, I had intended for this chapter to have more going on in it, but it was already really long so I was like, eh why not save it for the next chapter? Sorry if you didn't like what seemed to be mostly aimless fluff, but I gotta tell you guys that pretty much everything I write has a purpose in the story as a whole, so none of this may seem that important now, but its necessary for later on! Plus, it sets up the next chapter, which is going to have more romance, angst and foreshadowing! So yay! And, I can tell you that I intend to start the plot in just two more chapters! Yay! So until then REVIEW PLEASE and Until Next Time! **


	7. Night Flying

_Hey guys! So here we are at another mostly romancy/angsty chapter, though this one is much more interesting than the last one in my opinion! Yay! So I'll keep it short this time. Thanks to shippingpowersactivate for following! Now for the reviews!_

**Zelink005**_-Yeah I was kinda drooling over Link as I was writing that bit myself... I can't help it! I have a major crush on all the adult Links! XD And yeah, I admit it that almost-kiss was kinda mean of me... But this chapter just might make up for that (spoilers!) ;D_

**ShadowNinja1011**_-Thanks! XD_

**Mekuda**_-Yeah I had to do a little ship teasing... I just couldn't resist! I guess they are a bit shy, but this chapter might change that... or not, I'm not really sure ;)_

**WolfRunner362**_-I suppose a little filler never killed anyone... After all, I am slowly but surely building up to a huge beginning of the plot... :D_

_Alrighty! So, with that out of the way, Let's get started! Enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter 6: Night Flying_

As the sun started to set over Skyloft, the Lumpy Pumpkin lit up as the party there kicked off. The entire restaurant was festive and warm, the scent of fresh pumpkin soup filling the large dinning room. Several young couples filed in holding hands, Link and Zelda among them. The hero was clad in his knight's uniform, as all the young men at the party were and the girl wore a simple, yet pretty violet dress, her blonde hair tied up into a neat braid. They both smiled to each other as they entered together, hoping that they were both thinking the same thing. In both of their minds, this party was of the upmost importance. It was where they intended for their relationship to get its official start. They couldn't afford to think what could happen if anything went wrong.

The first half of the evening went by in a blur for both of them. A large part of it consisted of enjoying a pleasant dinner and conversing with friends. They had a good time, but all either of them could really focus on throughout it was their nervousness about the whole situation. Zelda was terrified that Link wouldn't even ask her and Link was worried that he'd have no idea how to even ask Zelda when the time came. But even so, the two of them muddled through the party, never leaving each other's sides, despite their apparent apprehension.

As the feast wore on, a few couples took the floor to dance to the music preformed by a small band of academy students. Zelda grinned as a slow song began to play, knowing that this could be their chance. "Let's dance," she said to Link, taking by the hand and dragging him out onto the floor before he could protest. "Come on!"

The hero simply followed after her, realizing her intent. He silently commanded himself to relax and act natural as the two of them held hands and drew close to each other, barely needing to move along to the gentle tune.

"You know..." Zelda said quietly with a warm smile. "I'm having a really nice time with you."

"Thanks," Link said, returning her smile. "I'm having a great time with you too."

The girl could feel her cheeks grow slightly red as she prepared her next statement. "Um... Link?"

"Yeah?"

"I... I think that this could be considered our second... date..."

"Second?"

"Well, yeah," Zelda glanced down bashfully. "Because our first date was the Wing Ceremony... Remember?"

"How could I forget?" the hero said with a fond smile, thinking back to when he and Zelda preformed the Wing Ceremony together months ago and then flew around Skyloft together to celebrate Link's victory in the race. And despite it actually being their first date, it had ended in tragedy, as it was then that a tornado threw Zelda down to the surface, prompting Link to set off on his search to find her and bring her home. "Actually Zel, there's something that I want to ask you..."

"Yes?" the girl said, looking at him with hope in her dark blue eyes.

Link took in a deep breath, running over the question in his mind one last time. It was now, or never. "Zelda," he began, looking into her beautiful eyes and receiving his final confirmation to go on ahead. "Do you-" Before the hero could say another word, a sharp ripple of deep pain ran through him, its epicenter being the supposedly sealed wound in his chest. He was unable to stop himself from cringing from the sudden sting as the pain seemed to intensify with each passing second. Zelda immediately noticed that something was wrong and she was filled with concern as she watched his eyes shut in agony.

"Link?" she asked, slowly guiding them both away from the middle of the dance floor so they wouldn't draw unnecessary attention. "What's wrong?" She received no reply as he groaned in misery. Zelda bit her lip as she held onto his hands tightly, confused and frightened. She had no idea what could be wrong with him, though she knew it was something serious. After all, he was completely fine just a moment ago.

At the same time, Link tried as hard as he could to cope with the pain, as not to arouse Zelda's suspicions. As a feeling of bitter cold mixed with a searing burn filled him, he realized exactly what was going on. It was the same thing that had happened after he was wounded by the Fierce Deity and thanks to Terminus's explanation, he knew what it meant. The demon was attempting to corrupt him once more and the hero knew that he had to try to fight it as hard as he could. However, it seemed that the more he resisted, the stronger the corruption came over him. Still languishing in pain, his mind fell into a distant fog as he lost control of his movements altogether, unbeknownst to Zelda, who was still in a worried frenzy over him.

"Link?" she tried breaking through to him again. "Link! Snap out of it!" Her eyes grew wide in distress as she noticed that his eyes had grown distant and unfocused, just like they were after he defeated the Deity. In desperation, she placed both of her hands on his shoulders, noticing how cold he was despite the fact that he was visibly sweating. "Come on! Please! Say something!"

Zelda continued to try to rouse him, growing more and more distraught with each passing second. Just as she was about to call out for help however, Link suddenly grasped both of her wrists tightly, his movements quick and unnatural. The girl stared into his blank and emotionless face with surprise, her mind filled with countless questions that she knew she wasn't going to get answers to. But as she stood in there in wonder, she gasped in pain as the hero's grip on her wrists tightened until his strong grasp brought her pain. He continued to restrict his hold, until Zelda like her wrists were going to snap in half.

"Link!" she cried quietly, trying as hard as she could to pull her arms out of his strong reach but failing. "Stop it! You're hurting me!"

The moment Zelda said this, Link immediately released his grip on her wrists altogether. His eyes grew wide as they regained their former focus and he found control of his thoughts and movements once again. His chest still stung with pain, but at the very least, he had broken through another spell of corruption. His breathing was heavy as he glanced at Zelda, who was watching him with her jaw dropped in curiosity and fear while she gingerly rubbed her hurt wrists, which were marked red due to his tight grasp. Neither of them said anything as they stared at each other, both of their minds racing with thought.

While Zelda was still extremely confused about what had just happened, she was glad that Link at least seemed to be normal once again. She could tell from the look of grief mixed with guilt as he looked at her injured wrists that he knew full well what had just happened. But she knew that whatever it was, he wouldn't tell her. He was hiding something from her, something that appeared to be very serious. And, she didn't care how well he intended on protecting his little secret, she was going to do whatever it would take to get to the bottom of this.

At the same time, Link couldn't take his eyes away from the sight of Zelda's hurt wrists. Though he couldn't really remember it, he knew that he had hurt her, something that he had vowed to himself that he would never do. And though it was only a minor injury, something that would fade away within a few hours, he was overwhelmed with guilt. He had been weak, too weak to overcome the corruption when he should have been much more vigilant. And what was worse was the fact that it had set in at the worst possible time: at the very moment that he had started to tell Zelda how he felt about her. Not only was the moment ruined now, but, he could tell by the look of distrust on the girl's face, that asking if they could become a couple now would be nearly impossible. How could they possibly start a relationship after an incident like that? The hero felt ashamed upon simply meeting her suspicious gaze, knowing that he was also lying to her and that he still had to keep her in the dark about everything, no matter how much she pressured him for the truth. And, as she continued to stare at him, he simply couldn't take it anymore. Without a word, Link turned away from her burning gaze and started to hurry away from her, not wanting to hear any of her questions that he wouldn't be able to answer and not wanting to be reminded of the fact that he had failed miserably in what he had set out to do. Zelda gasped quietly as he escaped from her, worry mingled with pity starting to fill her.

"Link, wait!" she called out after him as he headed for the exit of the building. He didn't turn around to face her, or even say a word back to her as he rushed out, much to her despair. She knew that whatever he just went through couldn't have been easy for him. And that, coupled with the fact that he had unintentionally hurt her, no doubt brought him extreme amounts of guilt and shame. At the moment, Zelda didn't even care to find out the reason behind what had just happened. All she cared about was telling him that she wasn't mad at him and that she wanted to be with him more than anyone else.

By the time she burst through the back door of the restaurant into the early evening air, the hero was gone, already flying his crimson Loftwing towards the direction of Skyloft. The girl simply stood and watched as he flew further and further away from her, tears of sadness and loneliness spilling down her cheeks as the words that she had wanted him to say to her rang out in her mind louder than ever.

* * *

_"Chosen hero..." _a quiet voice called out to Link as he he stood in an unknown place, surrounded by thick darkness on all sides. The voice barely rose above a malicious whisper, and the hero was unable to determine its gender or source due to the blinding blackness all around him.

"Who's there?!" he shouted into the endless expanse, sensing an evil presence lurking nearby. "Who are you?"

The voice simply laughed tauntingly in its quiet tone._ "You do not know, hero?" _it asked cruelly._ "Why, I am the one who has wrapped the reigns of corruption over your soul and spirit. The ancient demon who cast the hero of Termina down from glory and into my control and I shall do the same to you. I... am your master..."_

"Majora..." Link growled, clenching his fists in anger as he recognized the wicked being that Terminus had warned about.

_"You are correct, hero..." _the unseen demon cooed sadistically. _"You are wise to recognize my might, for very soon it will overtake you completely. You will fall, just as Terminus's hero did. How ironic it is that the noble hero of great courage who saved both the sky and surface of this realm will not be able to save himself in the end... For once you are under my full control, I shall use you to take this virgin land for myself!"_

The demon continued to cackle hatefully as the hero's anger and determination grew. "Never," he said rigidly, reaching behind his back to find a sword strapped there, much to his good fortune. "I will never let you control me!"

Majora was silent for a moment, before replying triumphantly. "_So defiant_..." it said, its whisper starting to echo louder though its tone did not change. "_Such disobedience must be punished... Do you not agree, hero?"_

Link said nothing as he stood firm, unsheathing the sword in one swift movement. However, the moment he did so, Majora simply laughed even louder as the hero froze up unexplainably. Confused, he looked to the sword that he now bore and was shocked at its appearance. The blade was twisted into the shape of a double-helix, just as the Fierce Deity's had been.

_"You are a fool, boy_..." Majora said darkly. "_Because you refuse to cooperate with the one who already holds you under their command and you try to deny me of what I desire, then I must deny you of something you desire..."_

As soon as the demon said this, Zelda suddenly appeared against the darkness a few feet away from Link, a warm and trusting smile glowing on her beautiful face. "Hi Link!" she said melodiously, a slight playful laugh in her tone.

"Zelda!" the hero gasped, immediately realizing the demon's intentions. "Run!"

The girl seemed to not hear him as she simply laughed calmly, not sensing the grave danger that she was certainly in. "_What is the matter, hero?" _Majora taunted him. _"Oh, I know... You want to keep your beloved goddess, the one you risked life and limb for and the one you love more than anyone else safe from me, do you not?"_

Link looked away from Zelda for a split second as he glanced around into the darkness in confusion. "How do you know that?! he asked the demon, knowing that he had never told another soul, not even Zelda herself, how much he really loved about her.

"_Because..." _the demon said twistedly. _"I can see into the deepest parts of your heart, mind and soul... I know all of your thoughts, your dreams, your desires... even your greatest fears... You think that you can protect the goddess Hylia from me? How amusing... How will you be able to do that when you won't even be able to protect yourself from my corruption? Already you are falling under my sway... Do you not feel it starting to consume you? Do not try to fight the impending! Darkness calls to you, hero... Resisting it will just delay the inevitable... Soon, you will be mine!"_

Majora started to laugh violently as pain filled every part of the hero. Still unable to move, he cried out in agony, knowing that he was loosing control of himself once more and this time, he was unable to resist it. "N-no!" he shouted amidst the great pain he was feeling. "Stop!"

"_Never_!" the demon roared viciously. _"Did Terminus not make it clear to you? I will not stop at ANYTHING until you are mine, hero! Your stubbornness is quite irritating... But I know of a way to break you... The goddess Hylia... the one you call Zelda... I command you, my loyal slave, to kill her!_" Majora's laugh rang out louder than ever as Link began to move forward against his will, unable to stop himself as he slowly headed towards Zelda with his deadly blade poised to strike her down.

"No!" the hero cried out in desperation, hoping that the girl could hear him and escape with her life. "Zelda!" he shouted to her, but she still did not respond. She remained still, giving him a warm smile as though nothing was wrong at all. Link knew that he had to stop this somehow before it was too late. Before he could even get close to killing her. If he were to do that, then he'd never be able to live with himself. In that moment, saving her life was all that mattered to him. He didn't even care if he fell into the demon's corruption any more as long as Zelda remained unharmed. But the only way to keep her safe was to fight the corruption with every fiber of his being. Though it brought him untold amounts of physical and mental pain, he forced himself to stop in his tracks, though the demon's influence still persisted strongly.

_"What do you think you are doing_?!" Majora asked, clearly not expecting him to put up a fight like this. _"I commanded you to slay her! You are MY servant! You will do as I say!"_

The hero cried out in great pain as he commanded himself to drop the double-helix blade. "N-no!" he shouted firmly, showing no signs of giving in. He was going to resist this at all costs. "I won't!" The moment he said this, Zelda's image disappeared and it instantly relieved Link. He felt himself regain control of his movements as the demon screamed in fury.

"_You foolish hero_!" Majora screeched as the blackness started to turn into pure light. "_Do not think that this is over! You may have overcome my corruption this time, but you are not free yet and you never will be! I promise you that I will not rest until you are mine_!" The demon's wicked laughter faded into nothingness as the healing light covered the hero, bringing him back into reality.

* * *

Link groaned quietly as he was gradually eased back into consciousness, realizing that his encounter with the demon had only been a dream. Or rather, an ominous nightmare, one that suggested that attempting to fight his corruption would be much more difficult than he originally had thought. Majora seemed unrelenting in its desire to overtake the hero's soul, but Link was still resolved to do everything he could to continue resisting it, no matter what it took. If he didn't then it could very well lead to Zelda's death by his own hands, an unthinkable outcome.

As the hero fully awakened, he sat up and glanced around, instantly confused about his surroundings. Though he remembered falling asleep in his dormitory room at the academy after returning from the party, he now sat within the hallway of its second floor. But what was even more unsettling was the fact that he was right in front of the closed door of Zelda's room. His eyes widened in shock as he realized that he hadn't just been dreaming. Majora had indeed commanded him to kill Zelda, and its influence had spread from the world of dreams into the waking world while Link slept. The demon had cast another spell of corruption over him when he had been the most vulnerable and if he hadn't broken out of it when he did, something terrible could have happened.

A grave worry began to fill the hero. What if the demon actually did succeed in corrupting him? What if he wasn't strong enough to overcome this? He couldn't risk the chances of hurting Zelda because of his own weakness. He had to find a way to put an end to this once an for all, before it was too late. But at the moment, he had no idea where to even start.

Unbeknownst to Link however, Zelda, who had been sleeping inside of her room, had been roused by the sound of his slight movements coming from right outside her door. The girl had always been a light sleeper and as she sat up in bed, she was curious as to who could be wandering the halls of the Knight Academy at such a late hour. After all, it had to have been after midnight. And so, moving as quietly as she could to the door of her room, she slowly unlocked the knob, a sound that Link heard the moment she did it as he realized that she was coming out. His mind began to race as he scrambled to his feet, watching as Zelda began to turn the knob from the other side of the door. If she were to see him right outside of her room in the middle of the night, then she'd never stop asking him questions about what was wrong with him. And aside from that, the two hadn't spoken a word to each other ever since the hero fled the party earlier that evening. After the nightmare that he had just had, he wouldn't be able to bear to see her beautiful, questioning eyes, searching him all the way to his soul with a desire to know a truth that he was unable to give. And so, before she could even open the door, he ran towards the nearest exit of the academy as fast as he could, bursting out into the quiet night air of Skyloft.

Zelda opened her door just in time to see the flash of green heading out of the nearby door. She immediately knew that it was Link, but the reason for him leaving the academy in the middle of the night was beyond her. She figured that it had something to do with how he had acted earlier at the party and she frowned, knowing that she needed to find out what it was. After all, maybe she could help him with it, whatever it was. So, returning to her room for a moment to put a pair of boots on and a wrap to protect her from the chilly night air, she hurried out after him, determined to get some answers.

The moon was full and bright as it hung over Skyloft, casting a pale light across the island in the sky. It was thanks to this silver light that Zelda was able to see Link as he hurried through the empty streets of the sleeping village. She was tempted to call out after him, but she had a feeling that he would give her no reply as she simply followed him, making sure to remain unseen by tucking away into the shadows when necessary. She eventually followed him to the other half of the island, to the area near the small windmill that rested on the eastern side of Skyloft. It was then, as she watched the hero take a seat on the bench near the windmill that faced to the wide open skies away from the town, that Zelda realized why he had come here. When the two of them were little, this used to be their special spot, where they would often come to simply relax and chat. The girl slowed her pace as she watched him sitting there alone, despondently staring off into the beautiful night skies. She sighed quietly, as all of her many questions that she had for him dissipated completely. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than for things to be simple once again. She wanted to be able to run up to him and hug him, telling him that she saw him not only as her best friend and her hero, but so much more than that as well.

But for the moment, she simply approached him in silence, not wanting to startle him. Without a sound, she slipped up to the bench and sat down on the other end of it beside him. He didn't glance over at her, though he knew she was there. He had expected her to follow him, even though he had hoped that she wouldn't. It wasn't that he wanted to be alone; in truth, he craved her presence as it was a comfort for him. But he knew that it wasn't safe for her. He had no idea when the demon would attempt to corrupt him once again and he wanted to be as far away from her as possible when it happened so he wouldn't be able to hurt her again.

For a long time, the two of them sat in a lonely silence, both of them feeling far away from the other dispite the fact that they were only a few feet apart. The stars overhead glistened brightly against the midnight blue backdrop, their radiance multiplied by the glow of the huge moon. The girl stared up into it, captivated by its loveliness as the hero was captivated by another sight altogether. As Link glanced over at Zelda, he was reminded once again that, despite his fear of hurting her due to his corruption, he still wanted to be with her more than anything else. Even though he had already failed to ask her before, he was determined to succeed no matter what. After all, this was something she needed to know before it was too late.

He was about to ask her at that very moment, until she broke in. "You know what I've always wanted to do?" she asked quietly, her face illuminated by the white glow of the moon. "I've always wanted to fly my Loftwing after curfew. Haven't you?"

"Yeah..." the hero said with a soft smile. "But its against the rules of the academy." At the Knight Academy, there was a long standing regulation that restricted students from flying their birds around the night skies after the curfew set in, for it was then that the light tower that illuminated the skies was turned off for the night. Loftwings had terrible night vision, therefore it was considered dangerous for students to fly them around in the dark. And yet, the risk and excitement of it was quite tantalizing, and pretty much everyone had thought of doing it at one point or another.

"So?" Zelda asked, glancing over at Link with a mischievous smile. "I think you and I have broken several of the academy's rules already. After all, we both live together on the surface without any 'adult supervision'." She let loose a small giggle. "I think its safe to say that we're not little kids any more, don't you agree?"

The hero returned her grin as he eased up, glad that she was willing to put the previous events of the evening behind her. "I do..." he said as the two of them began to unceremoniously edge closer together. "So... do you wanna try?"

She nodded, her smile growing as he took her hand. "Of course," she said as they stood up together, both of them placing any reservation or worry aside. In a casual, slow paced walk, they headed for the nearest wooden platform from which they could leap into the open air.

"Wait here," Link said to Zelda, who nodded with a huge smile, her eyes alight with excitement thanks to the bright moon. She watched as the hero ran and leapt off the edge of the platform, whistling for his rare crimson Loftwing, which came at his call immediately, though it had a little trouble finding him in the slight darkness. Link guided his bird in a quick circle before calling out to Zelda, who still stood on the platform above. "Come on!" he shouted, poising himself to catch her.

Taking in a deep breath, the girl backed up and then rushed forwards off the edge of the platform, plunging through the night air and landing squarely and securely in her hero's arms. The two of them shared a warm laugh as they began their forbidden flight through the night skies. Adrenaline filled both of them as they soared through the open, empty air, with no one awake to see them break the rules. Zelda held on tightly to Link as he had his bird preform a few death-defying moves, including several spins and dives as they both laughed playfully, enjoying every carefree minute of it. It was an exhilarating feeling of freedom, one that they cherished together. For about an hour, they glided high over the sleeping Skyloft, taking in the beauty of this perfect night.

"Where do you want to land?" Link called back to Zelda through the rushing winds with a clear smile on his face. As they flew he had gotten an idea, one that he needed just the right place to put into action.

The girl glanced around for a bit, sensing that he didn't intend to return to the main island just yet. She found the perfect spot in a little islet a few miles away from Skyloft, a secluded grassy place, dotted with flowers. "Oh!" she exclaimed excitedly. "There! Over there!"

The hero nodded as he followed her direction, leading his Loftwing towards the small isle floating amongst several others. They leaped off the back of the crimson bird together, floating down towards the islet using the sailcloth. Once they landed, they both looked up into the silver moon, taking in the glorious peace of the night, hands intertwined as they stood together.

"Zelda?" Link said, breaking through the quiet as he turned to her, summoning up the nerve to tell her what he needed to.

"Hm?" she responded, her smile blissful and beautiful.

"Earlier tonight I wanted to ask you if you wanted for us to be a couple," the hero admitted with a small smile. "But now I know that I have to tell you something much more important."

"Yes?" Zelda said, her eyes full of anxious hope.

"I want us to be so much more than just friends," he started boldly, his courage guiding him through. "I want us to be more than just a couple... Zelda... I... I love you..."

The moment he said this, the girl took in a gasp of sheer delight. "Oh Link!" she cried happily, wrapping her arms around him and embracing him tightly. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to tell me that! I love you too!" Small tears of joy started to fall down her cheeks as she burst into chimes of melodious laughter.

"Oh, don't cry, Zel!" the hero laughed warmly as he returned her strong embrace.

"I'm crying because I'm happy, silly!" she said radiantly. "This is the best day of my life! Or... well, night I guess." The couple shared a strong laugh as they drew closer together.

"I wanted to tell you a long time ago," Link said quietly, staring into her glowing blue eyes. "But... I..." He trailed off, not wanting thoughts of anything else to ruin this beautiful moment.

"Its ok..." Zelda whispered, placing her head against his chest as she took in his comfortable warmth. "The past doesn't matter now... All that matters is this moment. I don't want this to end..."

"Neither do I..." he whispered back sincerely. The moon continued to cast its heavenly glow upon the two of them, illuminating them in its pale and lofty light. Neither of them said anything else as it bore down on them and in that moment, they felt like they were the only two people in the entire world. The gentle night wind was soft and comforting as their faces moved closer and closer together, and this time, there was nothing that stopped them from touching their lips together, as they fell into a passionate and beautiful kiss. And, if it had been up to them, they would have let it last forever.

* * *

**I gotta say it: AWWWWWW! I love a good bit of romance, don't you? And angst too and I can promise you that the next chapter is gonna be full of that! Plus... Is anyone else wondering how those crafty Sheikah from several chapters ago are going to play into all of this? Mayhaps its time to see what they're up to as well? hahahaha... Well as always REVIEW PLEASE! Thanks for all the support so far guys, you make me feel loved! Until Next Time!**


	8. No Matter What

_Ok, so sorry if this seemed like it took a while... I'm sorta working on this story and another LoZ story (entitled The Chosen Two, go check it out!) simultaneously, making my life hectic! Anyway, thanks to tr1pp89, Tuba Girl Wonder, Rainkit, and Spottedears nee-chan for following or favoriting! Now for the reviews!_

**Guest**_-Aww... thank you! (Blushes) ;D_

**Zelink005**_-yeah I had that scene swimming around in my head for the past month, so I'm glad its fiinally written! And things might get a tad more dangerous in this chapter... You'll see what I mean ;)_

**WolfRunner362**_-As much as I LOVE the fabulous Ghirahim, I'm not sure if I will be able to work him into this story. I've thought about it before, but I really can't find any clear openings for him in the plot that I've developed so far! I really wish I could, cause he is one of my favorite Zelda baddies, but I'm pretty sure it won't work. Sorry! _

**ShadowNinja1011**_-Thanks! :D_

**Mekuda**_-Link and Zelda are pretty darned cute together, aren't they? And the good news, there will only be more romance between them as the story progresses! XD _

_So with that out of the way, let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 7: No Matter What_

A quiet, yet sudden screech was what woke Zelda up the following morning. With a drowsy yawn, she opened her eyes to see her Loftwing standing over her, peering its face into hers curiously. The bird skwaked again and Zelda smiled as she glanced over at the slumbering hero beside her. As the Loftwing followed her gaze, she put a hand on its beak and stroked it, taking in the warm morning breeze that blew over the small island the two of them had spent the night on.

"Shh..." she quieted her somewhat confused bird gently as it continued to make noise. "He's still asleep..." Once more, she looked over at Link and her smile widened. Last night had been glorious for both of them and in the aftermath of the declaration of their mutual love for one another, they didn't want to be a moment apart. And so, they had stayed on their little islet for quite some time, talking, taking in the beauty of the night and of course, kissing. Every time their lips met, it was as though their world began anew and each time was better than the last. They eventually fell asleep in each other's embrace on the soft green grass of the island, their dreams sweet and their rest fulfilling.

Zelda sat up as her bird took to the skies, joining Link's Loftwing as the two birds circled above the island that their riders were on. The girl watched them contentedly for a while before glancing over at the hero once more and sighing peacefully. She knew that things would certainly be different between them now, but after last night, she had a feeling that things would only get better.

"Hey," she said quietly to Link, nudging him gently and giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. "Wake up, sleepyhead."

With a small smile, the hero opened his eyes to look up at her. "Hey," he said warmly. "Good morning."

"Well, look who's in a good mood in the morning for once!" Zelda chuckled.

"How could I possibly be in a bad mood after last night?" Link asked, pulling her into an embrace as he sat up beside her.

"Good point," the girl said, giving him another kiss on the cheek. He returned it by drawing her into a full kiss, one filled with passion and love. And, it was as they clung onto each other, they both realized that they were more than they had intended to be. Instead of a couple, their relationship was much deeper and richer than they thought it could ever be. They were in love, and it was sheer bliss for both of them.

After a long minute, they broke apart and sat there for a while, staring up into the perfect blue skies above as their Loftwings lingered nearby. "So..." Zelda said with a wide smile as she leaned her head against Link's shoulder. "We're in love now..."

"Yeah," the hero said with a joking grin. "We already established that last night, remember?"

"Well of course I do!" she said, giving him a soft punch on the arm. "But I can't help but wonder... what now?"

Link was silent for a moment as he pondered her question. The previous night, he had been living in the moment when he told Zelda that he loved her, not thinking about how the future could affect anything. But the hero knew well what could happen in his future. There was a large chance that he could succumb to corruption, leaving Zelda alone and heartbroken. But now more than ever, he knew that he still couldn't tell her the truth yet. He remembered Terminus's warning well and her advice: to keep Zelda content and unknowing for as long as possible. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he told her and ended up breaking her heart. And even if the news didn't ruin her, she would try to put on a brave face and fake happiness for his sake. But what Link really wanted was for her joy to be genuine. Seeing an honestly cheerful smile on her face set his mind at ease and made him forget, however briefly, about the impending corruption that sought to steal his soul no matter what. And so, he decided that he was going to do everything he could to keep her in a state of bliss for as long as possible, so that when the corruption did start to overtake him completely, they'd both have the love that they had for each other to cling onto in the end.

"Now," Link began, putting a secure arm around her. "We can start enjoying every minute of it."

Zelda returned his smile as she embraced him once more. "And how do you intend we do that?"

"Like this," the hero said as he pulled her in for another tender kiss.

* * *

The couple stayed on their small islet until they decided to return to the surface once more. They spent much of the pleasant, warm day walking through the lush Faron Woods, taking paths that they hadn't before as they strolled along hand-in-hand. They had spent quite a few calm days on the surface together like this before, but now every moment they shared together seemed to be even more special and wonderful. As the day wore on peacefully, the pair took a route that led to the unknown expanse to the northwest of the large forest. They eventually broke into what they initially thought to be a clearing containing a single grassy hill. Upon scaling this hill however, they found something completely amazed them. Beyond the crest of the hill the forest opened up into a vast green field that rolled on in nearly every direction for miles and miles on end. From their excellent vantage point, Link and Zelda could see the full lay of the land and how it connected to Lanayru Desert to the west and Eldin Volcano to the north, acting as a wide crossroad between the three provinces of the surface.

"Wow..." Zelda said in awe as she looked over the landscape. "Its even bigger than Hylia's memories made it out to be..."

"I always wondered what was in between the three provinces..." Link mused as he looked over the wide open area. "But its so empty..."

"Well, people haven't really lived on the surface for generations," the girl said. "But it doesn't have to be empty anymore..." She smiled as she nudged closer to the hero, taking his hand in her own. "If you know what I mean..."

"I do," he smiled, wrapping his arms around her and gazing into her radiant face. He knew well what she was implying: that one day, their life together on the surface would become something much more than what it currently was. It would become a mutual, loving union, and through that union, the two of them would start to repopulate this empty land together. It was a thought that filled the hero with hope for the future, a future where nothing could break through their happiness, not even the threat of corruption. And as he let the idea sink in, Link realized that it was perhaps the best reason he had to keep fighting it. If he resisted and overcame the corruption of the demon, then he'd get to have that future with Zelda. And at the moment, that was the most perfect future he could possibly imagine.

The couple decided to sit on the hill overlooking the field to watch the sunset over the desert to the west. As twilight arrived, the untouched landscape took on a shadowy orange glow as the fading light of the dying day covered both of them in its warmth.

"I'm so glad we decided to stay on the surface together..." Zelda said to Link as they watched the sun sink ever lower. "I love it down here..."

"And I love you..." the hero said warmly as the girl placed her head in his lap and looked up into the skies above, which were painted in a dazzling array of blues, violets, oranges and pink.

"Goddesses, I never get tired of hearing you say that," she said, closing her eyes blissfully. "I love you too, and I'm pretty sure that I always have..."

Link was about to offer a reply when a sudden, very familiar voice pervaded his thoughts with one simple command: "_Slay the goddess..._" Immediately, the hero knew that this malicious, bloodthirsty voice belonged to Majora, and that the demon was making another attempt at corrupting him, once again at a very inopportune time. As the cold voice of the demon repeated this command over and over to him, the hero forced his eyes to look away from Zelda and instead set them on a tight gaze towards the empty fields ahead, using every once of willpower that he had to resist it.

_"Listen to your master, hero..."_ Majora taunted him from the depths of his mind. _"I command you to murder her_!"

Link closed his eyes tightly as the demon's voice grew louder and more malevolent, trying to block out its already strong influence. Thankfully, Zelda hadn't noticed his struggle yet, as she was entranced by the beauty of the sunset afar off. "_Kill her_!" Majora practically screeched to him, and this time, the hero was absolutely determined in his resolve against it.

"No!" he opposed it firmly out loud, though he had meant to keep the thought in his mind. The girl glanced up at him and frowned as the hero realized that she had heard him loud and clear, though she had no idea about the demon trying to corrupt him.

"No what?" she asked in confusion. "Link, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he was quick to say as the demon continued to cloud his thoughts. "Its... its nothing."

"Are you sure?" Zelda asked in concern as she sat up.

"Yeah," the hero nodded as he rose to stand up. "I... I'll be right back..." He said, turning to head back into the woods behind them, despite the pain that was already beginning to swell up inside of his chest.

"Where are you going?" she asked worriedly, having a feeling that something was wrong.

"Nowhere," Link said as calmly as he could, trying his best to hide the pain. "I'll be back in a few minutes. I promise."

"Well then, why can't I come with you?" the girl continued to press, wanting answers.

"Because you can't!" he said sharply, starting to feel overwhelmed by both the pain and the demon's pressing influence. But the moment he saw Zelda's stunned face, he immediately regretted getting harsh with her. He had never, ever, raised his voice at her in anger before. Had he really been driven to it by the corruption that he seemed to be falling deeper and deeper into? He simply stood there for a moment, ignoring both the pain and the corruption as he realized that he had hurt his best friend and the one he loved on an emotional level, something that was much deeper than any physical pain. And he simply couldn't take that fact or the clear pain in her lovely blue eyes. He turned and ran as fast as he could back into the darkened woods, wanting to get out of her piercing, saddened gaze as soon as possible.

Zelda simply watched him as he escaped her yet again, remaining silent and still as she tried to fight back her pressing tears. She knew that something was wrong with him; that something was happening to him and that it was starting to change him somehow. But whatever was causing it, she knew that he wouldn't tell her for some reason. She wanted to know exactly what it was, so she could help him in any way she could, but at the moment, she was too despondent to even follow him into the woods. Everything had been so perfect between them until now. All she really wanted as she sat in the loneliness of the sunset was to have that perfection once again. And, to have the hero that she fell in love with back from whatever was happening to him.

Meanwhile, Link continued to crash through the forest, simply trying to get as far away from Zelda as he could just in case he really did fall into another spell of corruption. His mind was in a distant, cloudy haze as the demon's voice began to grow even louder and more controlling. He was shivering, despite every part of his body feeling like it was on fire. Groaning in agony, the hero stopped running as legs began to grow weak. He clumsily collapsed against a nearby tree as the world around him started to get darker with each passing second.

_"Still you continue to resist_?" Majora hissed at him. "_You really are stubborn, hero... But you will find that I am equally as resilient..."_

A sharp, strong wave of extreme pain washed over Link as he clung onto the tree tightly, trying to push the agony away. "N-no..." he moaned in misery as the demon simply laughed at his suffering. It felt as though his chest wound was being torn open all over again and he cried out loudly, tears of pain threatening to fall from his eyes. Unbeknownst to him however, Zelda, who was still sitting on her spot on the hill clearly heard him and without a moment's hesitation, she started racing back into the woods in an attempt to find him, knowing that he was either in pain or in trouble, or both.

"_Does it hurt too much, hero_?" Majora cooed cruelly. "_You know you could find relief from your pain so easily... if you just stop fighting..."_

Link set his gaze on the ground in determination, clenching his fists as he continued to resist, despite the pain that seemed to be tearing him apart. He didn't care if this agony would end if he succumbed to corruption. He still intended to fight it with every fiber of his being until he was free from it once and for all. He was going to resist not only for his own sake, but for Zelda's sake as well. "No!" he proclaimed firmly, shakily rising to stand up and ignoring the twisting pain as much as he could. "I don't care how strong you think you are, I will _never_ stop fighting you!"

The demon screeched in anger as the hero felt himself being gradually released from another spell of corruption. "_You foolish hero_!" it hissed as its voice started to fade out of his mind. "_You can't keep this up forever! I will corrupt you eventually, no matter what! And when I do, then both the Spirit of the Hero and the Blood of the Goddess will be mine!"_

As Majora's voice faded away into nothingness, Link let out a sigh of relief, knowing that even though the demon's threat still stood, he was free from its corruption for the moment. He let himself collapse against the tree in sheer exhaustion as his chest continued to pound in pain, but he ignored it as he looked up into the low, dimming light breaking through the trees above him. He sat there for a moment or two, until Zelda's voice calling out for him worriedly broke through the near silence of the forest. He was too weary and worn out to send her a reply so he remained still as he closed his eyes and fell into a stupor.

"Link?!" the girl called out once more as she finally broke into the clearing where the hero was. And when she spotted him, she almost burst into tears when she saw his condition. She was almost certain that he was unconscious as she approached him and saw that he did not stir, but what bothered her even more was the fact that the front of his tunic was soaked red with blood. She knelt down beside him and gently touched his face, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek to let him know that she was there.

"Link...?" she whispered as she gingerly placed her hand across his chest. "Can you hear me?" The hero slowly opened his eyes with a soft groan and looked over at her, feeling extremely weak from his mental battle against the demon.

"Zelda..?" he muttered tiredly with a slight smile, comforted by her presence.

She nodded and returned his smile as she took his hand. "You're bleeding..." she informed him as he followed her gaze down to his chest. "What happened to you?"

Too exhausted to come up with any kind of excuse, Link simply shrugged as he closed his eyes once more. Zelda frowned, still full of questions for him, but she could tell by looking at him that he was much too weak to answer them at the moment. And so, she wordlessly helped him to his feet and let him lean on her for support as the two of them began their long trek back to the Sealed Temple for the night. However, neither of them had any idea that there had been several sets of prying eyes watching the entire display and taking in every piece of information they could get that would aid them in their developing plans.

* * *

The moon already hung high in the dark skies as Link and Zelda finally made it back to the temple. Along the way, the hero had fallen in and out of bouts of consciousness and the girl grew continuously more concerned about him as she guided them both out of the dark forest. She theorized that something must have attacked him when he ran off into the woods and whatever it was, it must have fled before she found him. She didn't really care what it could be; she was more concerned about his deteriorating condition. Not only was he bleeding, but he was burning up and shivering at the same time. Zelda surmised that his unseen wound was bringing on a fever, one that she really had no idea how to treat.

As they entered the temple, she helped the hero ease himself down to sit against one of the stone walls before kneeling down at his side and resting for a moment. She almost fell asleep right then and there, but was roused the moment she heard Link moan softly. Without a word, she moved to sit in front of him, taking both of his hands as he opened his eyes to look at her tiredly.

"Hey," she said softly, giving his hands a slight squeeze. "Are you OK?"

He nodded, even though he felt sore, exhausted and sick. "Yeah..." he said in a barely audible whisper. "With you here, I'm OK."

She smiled slightly, filled with both love and pity for him. "Link, are you able to take your shirt off? I need to see your wound..."

Though he was inclined to, the hero didn't argue with her. It took some doing, he managed to slip his shirt off so she could see his bear chest. "Oh goddesses..." Zelda gasped in shock as she examined it. The blood was coming from the wound that the Fierce Deity had given him, which had somehow opened itself up once again. The thick red liquid covered his chest, making the girl even more worried about him.

"Is it bad?" Link asked, even though he knew it was. Majora had no doubt somehow opened the cut that Terminus had sealed during its last attempt at corrupting him. But that had been hours ago; now the wound had bled out a great deal and was painful, but nothing more. Zelda, however, knew how life threatening such an injury could be if left untreated.

"No..." she said calmly, though she knew she was lying. "Its not that bad... All it needs is a little love... Don't worry... I'll take care of it... And, I'll take care of you..."

"Thank you..." the hero sighed contentedly, leaning his head back against the wall and relaxing.

Zelda cracked a small smile as she got to work. Taking some bandage and cloth from the first aid kit that the pair had brought down to the surface from Skyloft, she cleaned up most of the blood before wrapping his wound up horizontally. He was asleep for most of the process, which made her job a bit easier. Once she was finished dressing the wound, she let him lie down and get to sleep fully as she sat beside him for quite a while, humming softly as she kept a cool, wet cloth placed against his feverish forehead. But it didn't take too long for her own eyes to grow heavy and within a short amount of time, she had fallen asleep right beside him in the dense silence of the ancient temple.

However, the rest of the night did not go on peacefully. Unbeknownst to both of them, the corruption of the demon was flaring up inside of the hero once again, and this time, it came completely without warning. Link was totally unaware of Majora taking command of his movements, and even if he had been, he would have been too exhausted to really fight against it. Under the demon's unabridged control, the hero rose from his slumber and took the Great Fairy's Sword, which was not too far away from where he and the girl had been sleeping. And, he slowly began to move towards where she was still peacefully resting, unknowing and unaware of what was really happening. However, thanks to the fact that she was a light sleeper, Zelda heard Link's quiet movements just in time. She drowsily opened her eyes and looked over to where he had been sleeping to find the spot empty. Her eyes widened in complete shock and terror however, when she looked up to see the hero standing directly over her, his expression blank, his blue eyes distant and his sharp sword poised to end her life.

"Link!" she screamed fearfully, her desperate voice echoing throughout the large temple. Upon hearing her cry out for him, the hero gasped and opened his eyes wide, immediately returning to himself. It took him less than a second to see the position that his sword was in and when it hit him that he had fallen victim to another spell of corruption, he tossed the blade aside and broke eye contact with Zelda, not bearing the fear and confusion clearly showing on her face. The realization of what he had almost done was too much for him to take. He had almost killed her, and this time he hadn't even known that he had entered another bout of corruption until it was almost too late. What if she hadn't called out for him when she did? What if he had actually followed through all the way? He couldn't stand to even think such dark thoughts. But as he met the girl's silent, wondering glance once more, he felt more guilty than ever. Guilty for lying to her, guilty for making her worry, and guilty for putting her life in danger simply by being around her. And so, overwhelmed by such feelings, the hero hurried out of the temple's side door as quickly as he could, hoping to save her life simply by putting a distance between the two of them, as much as he didn't want to.

Zelda sat there, stunned with many emotions as she watched him flee from her yet again. The strongest emotion of all of them was dread. Even though he had almost killed her, she knew that it wasn't his fault. As much as she pitied his obvious pain and anxiety, she knew well that something was very wrong with him and this time, she was going to find out what it was, no matter what. And so, she hurried out after him into the cool night air, hoping that she'd be able to simply keep up with him this time.

As Zelda pursued Link though the dark, presumably empty woods alone, she was unaware that both her and her hero were under tight surveillance by two separate groups once again. And as one of these small groups kept a close eye on the couple from the shadows, they whispered amongst themselves about the situation that was unfolding before their eyes.

"Mistress Veress..." one of the members of the small group said to their leader, who had joined them in their watch this time. "As you can see the goddess is alone and the hero is unarmed. Now would be an excellent opportunity..."

"Still your tongue, Miu," the leader, Veress, admonished the young man who stood at her side. "We must be patient. After all, the hero appears to be very unstable at the moment, mentally and physically. Mind you, we still do not know what is wrong with him, but we could use it to our advantage..." From her vantage point high up in the branches of the trees, she looked towards the hero's direction as he continued to try and escape from the girl. "And who knows? After that little spectacle just now in the temple, anything could happen. If we're lucky, then he might just kill her for us."

Her companions snickered softly amongst themselves as they continued to observe the two. However, as Veress looked out across to the trees on the other side of the pathway that cut through the woods, she spotted another set of red eyes looking directly at her from there. Her expression darkened as she returned their piercing glare and she turned to briefly face her followers. "All of you, stay here and continue to watch the hero and the goddess," she commanded and they all nodded obediently. "I must take care of something..." Leaping seamlessly within the shadows, she easily cleared the distance between the two thickets without being seen. She grinned darkly as she landed within the adjacent patch of woods, especially as another figure stepped into view.

"Sheik..." Veress bowed to the other Sheikah who stood in front of her, though there was slight mocking in her tone.

"Veress," Sheik said firmly, acknowledging her show of respect, even though she knew it was not sincere. "What are you doing here? Watching over her grace is not your charge. I thought I assigned you to be in charge of watching the village tonight."

"You did," Veress said with a smirk. "But nothing ever happens there, as you well know. Remember back when we were kids and you used to get so afraid when we were up for village watch? You were always so careful, Sheik, so cautious. How pathetic..."

Sheik glared at her softly, not letting her words sting. "Your personal problems with me aside, you sill haven't answered my question," she said, her piercing red gaze unchanging. "Why are you out here?"

"Well if you must know, I'm simply helping you out, Sheik..." the other Sheikah lied. "You have to admit that it is necessary... Keeping an eye on the goddess isn't as easy as it used to be when Impa was around, is it?"

Sheik looked away from Veress's teasing gaze, not wanting to dwell on a topic that was very personal to her. "It's not because of Impa's absence that I'm worried..." she admitted quietly.

"Well of course not," Veress said with sincerity. "You've certainly noticed too, haven't you? Ever since the two of them have returned from the lost woods, the hero's been a bit... off... hasn't he?"

Sheik sighed, casting a long glance towards the hero as he headed for the large tree that rested within the center of Faron Woods. "He has been acting strange lately... I do fear for the goddess's safety if such behavior continues..."

"And if it gets out of hand?" Veress pressed, her red eyes alight with hidden malice. "What do you intend to do then?"

Sheik was silent for a long minute before turning back to the other Sheikah with an authoritative look in her scarlet eyes. "That is none of your concern," she said firmly. "When the time comes, I will take care of it. It is my charge to ensure the goddess's safety and I will do what I must to carry my duty out, no matter what. And that is all you need to know. Now if you don't mind, we both have duties that we must be getting back to, Veress."

With her final command relayed, Sheik faded seamlessly into the shadows, leaving Veress to make wicked smirk as she returned to her companions. "Sheik does not suspect a thing," she reported triumphantly. "She claims that she will do anything it takes to keep Hylia safe, but even she won't stand a chance against our power..." She was silent for a moment as she watched the girl finally locate the hero, who had scaled up the great tree a little bit to sit on one of its higher ledges. "My brothers and sisters..." she said darkly, keeping her eyes on the couple. "I believe that the time is nigh... Our preparations are finally complete... Let us not wait any longer... The next time the opportunity presents itself, we will strike!"

* * *

Though Zelda didn't see Link for the longest time as she walked through the woods, she managed to spot him as he approached the clearing that surrounded the large tree within the center of the woods. The two of them had climbed up the tree several times using several well-placed notches they had made in the wood to make scaling it easier. She slipped out of sight as she watched him climb up to a thick ledge about halfway to the top and when she thought he couldn't see her, she followed after him.

She slowly and silently moved around to the other side of the ledge, to where the hero sat with his back turned to her, looking out across the vast forest despondently. She took in a deep breath as she unceremoniously moved to sit down beside him, neither of them saying or word, or even glancing at the other for quite some time as they took in the serenity of the night. How strange it was that only the previous night, they had stood miles above and proclaimed their love for one another in complete happiness in bliss, but now they sat miles below, dread and angst filling both of them.

"Link?" Zelda asked, wanting to get right to the point for once.

"Yes?" he responded quietly, still avoiding eye contact with her.

"I know that something is wrong with you..." she said, looking up into the moonless, yet starry sky. "And I want to know what it is, because I know I can help you with it... But I also know that you won't tell me... Right?"

"Zelda..." the hero sighed, remembering Terminus's words clearer than ever before. "I... I don't even know what it is..." he lied, and the moment he did, even more guilt filled him. How much longer would he have to keep this charade up, simply to keep her happy? It was so hard to keep it to himself. He wanted to tell her so badly and let everything be out in the open, like he used to tell her everything when they were little. He wanted to be free from the lies almost as much as he wanted to be free from the threat of corruption, but he knew that he couldn't tell her, at least not yet. And so, the easiest thing to do would be to feign ignorance for the time being. But he knew that he'd have to tell her soon enough, so that if he really did loose himself to corruption, then at the very least, he wouldn't be leaving her without the answers she craved.

The girl frowned as she moved closer to him, taking his hand. "This has been going on ever since we returned from Termina..." she mused, trying to get to the bottom of this for both of them. "Maybe we could go back and get Terminus's help tomorrow."

"Zel, we don't have to..." Link said, knowing that Terminus knew as well as he did exactly what was wrong with him.

"But we do, Link..." Zelda said, looking at him sadly. "I'm so worried about you... I want to fix whatever's wrong so that we can be happy... together..."

The hero couldn't help but smile upon hearing this, even though he knew there was no easy way to fix this. But perhaps it would be easier for Terminus to explain everything to Zelda rather than him trying to. Maybe the heartbreak wouldn't be as bad if she got the bitter news from her sister rather than her hero. "Ok..." he agreed a moment later. "We'll go..." He was silent for a moment however as he finally looked towards her, finding a small shred of hope in her beautiful eyes. And at that moment, he realized that he had to give her some form of reassurance, to make up for all of the turmoil and worry he had put her through within the past several hours. "But Zelda..." he said, taking both of her hands into his.

"Yes?" she asked with a small smile.

"I need you to know that no matter what, I still love you.." he said, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her into a tender, comforting embrace.

"Oh Link..." she sighed contentedly as her worry started to wash away. "I love you too... No matter what..."

* * *

**Well, I'd say that a lot happened in this chapter, didn't it? But I think we needed an eventful chapter like this especially because we're building up for the next chapter, when out main plot is finally going to be set into motion! Yay! So, that's all I gotta say for now. REVIEW as usual! Until Next Time!**


	9. Enemies of the Goddess

_Ok everyone! Here it is! The chapter that has consumed my thoughts for the past month basically! This one is gonna be INTENSE! That's kinda why its so long! XD I'd love to get to it right away, but we have business to get to first. Thank you pyroknight95, adamsimpson8081, and TheRealPurpleLink for following and favoriting! Now for the reviews!_

**TheRealPurpleLink**_-Thanks! Glad to be of assistance/inspiration! XD_

**Zelink005**_-Yeah... Anyway... You'll see what's gonna happen in this chapter! Also, I just noticed this while writing this chapter, but I have been especially mean to Link in this story, haven't I? I mean seriously! The poor hero just can't seem to catch a break! Now I just wanna hug him and kiss him, but I think Zelda can do that for me! XD_

**Mekuda**_-You want Sheikahs? You got em! This chapter is loaded with them! XD And I have a feeling that this chapter is going to reinforce just how much Link and Zelda care for each other... but you'll just have to read on and see what I mean! :D_

**Shadowninja1011**_-That was a 'whoa' kinda chapter, wasn't it? :)_

**Wolfrunner362**_-Well, you're about to find out exactly what they're up to! ;D_

**silverhawk88**_-Just because he needs to tell her, doesn't mean he will unfortunately. :( But hopefully everything will work out in the end! _

_And here we go everyone, chapter 8, in which the plot kicks off! Let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 8: Enemies of the Goddess_

Zelda frowned uneasily as she glanced up at the Triforce while standing on the hands of the Statue of the Goddess in the early morning air. She was filled with dread for two reasons: the first was centered around her ongoing worry for Link, but the second came from a new source entirely. The girl took in a deep breath as she glanced out across the forest behind her. The wind felt strange for some reason as it blew by her and the skies overhead were oddly grey and cloudy instead of their usual clear blue and sunny. She could feel something in the air, but she couldn't tell exactly what it was. But all the same, she raised her guard, just in case it was a cause for alarm.

Looking towards the Triforce once more, Zelda slowly took out the Ocarina of Time that Terminus had given her and held it in her hands, noticing how the glow of the golden relic reflected on its blue surface. She remembered what the goddess of Terminus had told her about the instrument when she had given it to her: "_The crest of the golden power is a sign that the goddesses intended for the Ocarina of Time and the Goddess's Harp to be together from their creation. They gave it to me ages ago, in the hopes that the two of us would reunite and that both instruments would be used to protect the Triforce. The people of this land no longer have access to the golden relic, and I don't think they ever will again. Now the Triforce rests in your land, Hylia. My hope is that this gift will help you keep it from falling into the wrong hands_..." Zelda realized that, in the midst of all of her uncertainty, perhaps the ocarina and the harp could help her take at least one of her many pressing concerns off her mind.

The girl solidified her idea in her mind as she caught sight of Link's Loftwing flying directly overhead, bearing the hero on its back. Leaping off the bird, he landed on the statue's hands near Zelda and greeted her with a silent nod, still feeling guilty for the foreboding events of the previous night.

Instead of giving him a weary and grief-filled look like he thought she would, she smiled invitingly and greeted him warmly. "Good morning!" she said cheerfully, as though nothing had happened at all last night. "I'm glad you're here. I was wondering if you could help me with something before we left."

Link eased up, letting go of his dread about the situation as a whole for the moment upon seeing that Zelda had done the same. "Sure," he said cooly. "What is it?"

Zelda held the Ocarina of Time out to him with one hand, while pulling her harp out with the other. "I was hoping you could help me play a duet so we could strengthen the Triforce's seal."

"Why?" he asked, taking the small wind instrument. "Is it weakening?"

"No..." the girl shook her head as she glanced up towards the golden relic. "But... I'd feel a lot better if we made it stronger than it is... I'm not sure why, but I have a feeling like something bad is going to happen soon..."

"You mean something worse than everything that's already happened?" the hero muttered despondently as he glanced away from her. She frowned as she looked back to him, placing her free hand on his shoulder consolingly.

"Hey..." she said with a comforting smile. "Its going to be ok... We'll go and get Terminus's help, and everything will go back to the way it was before... I promise."

Link returned her smile half-heartedly, knowing that she would never be able to fulfill that promise. As Terminus had told him, there was really nothing that could be done about the corruption that threatened to overtake him. It already seemed that with each spell of it he was swept into he was falling deeper and deeper into something that he wouldn't be able to escape forever. Going back to Termina would prove to be nothing more than a waste of time that it would ultimately end with Zelda discovering what he should have kept a secret from her all along. But he knew that it was too late to change her mind now, especially after everything that had happened last night. She was determined to get answers, even if those answers would certainly break her heart. "Alright," the hero said, positioning the ocarina to play. "Then we'd better hurry."

Zelda nodded solemnly as she poised her harp. "Ok then," she said, focusing her gaze on the golden triangles. "Follow after me." She closed her eyes and began strumming the Ballad of the Goddess as Link repeated her on the ocarina. The two formed a pleasant sounding duet of the melody as a soft blue glow formed around the Triforce, signifying that a new seal was being crafted for it, one that was much stronger and more durable than the last. When their song ended on a harmonious crescendo, that glow flashed and the new seal was formed, ready to stand against all those who might try to steal the sacred power for themselves.

Placing her harp aside, the girl looked out towards the forest and strained her eyes to see any irregularities about it, feeling that something was definitely off about it. The hero noticed her investigative gaze and glanced towards the woods with her, curious to know what she was seeing. "What is it?" he asked her quietly, knowing that she was focusing intensely.

"I wish I knew..." she said, her eyes not moving away from the forest. "Its like... I can sense something hiding out there, lurking in the shadows... And, while I can't be too sure... it feels like a dark presence..."

"Then we should go find out what it is," Link said, getting ready to leap off the statue. He knew that Zelda was rarely ever off the mark about such premonitions thanks to her divine powers and if there really was a threat of danger hiding within the forest somewhere, he wanted to take care of it as soon as possible so it would be one less thing he'd have to worry about.

Zelda was quick to grab his arm and stop him before he could dive off. "Not until we get you some help," she said firmly.

Link took both of her hands in his and smiled somewhat sadly. "I can't wait, Zel..." he said patiently "Besides, I'm not that important..."

"You are important..." she said, resting her head against his chest. "To me..."

The hero was silent for a moment, unable to come up with an argument for this. He was touched that she cared so much for him, despite the fact that there was really nothing that could help him. It made him feel all the more guilty for lying to her, even if it was a necessity. He was tempted to tell her everything right then and there to just get it all over with and save them both the trip, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, no matter how much he wanted to. He couldn't cause her any more pain and emotional sorrow than he already had. And so he finally relented, showing that he agreed with her by giving her a small kiss on the forehead. Without another word, the two leaped off the statue and landed on the ground to prepare for their return to Termina. However, neither of them could see the prying eyes that hid within almost every shadow nearby, watching their every move as they waited for the perfect moment to strike.

* * *

Link and Zelda walked through the woods at a steady pace, both of them in a stated silence. They had little to talk about at the moment, but they both had much on their minds. Aside from her strong concern for the hero, the girl was also still worried about the Triforce. What if there really was an evil hidden out there, seeking to lay their hands upon the golden relic? While there hadn't been any disturbances on the surface since the destruction of Demise and his followers, she still felt uneasy. Zelda knew that the special senses that she had gained along with the goddess's memories were trying to tell her something, but whatever it was, it was very unclear to her. And though she knew it was a risk to leave the surface and the Triforce unguarded even for a few hours was risky, she was determined to get Link the help he needed and deserved first, even if he didn't want it. Even aside from the fact that she wanted things to return to normal, she also knew that if this unknown threat did exist, she would need his help to take care of it.

At the same time, Link was also filled with anxiety about the unfolding situation. As had been proven the previous night, the demon's corruption was not only pressing and strong, but it was also erratic and unpredictable. He knew well that he could fall into another spell of corruption at literally any time and breaking out of it easily wasn't a guaranteed thing. Majora was clearly pushing him to kill Zelda, but the hero couldn't help but wonder why. Was it simply to leave him with no reason left to resist corruption or did the demon have some other hidden motive? Whatever it's insane plans were, Link realized that clearly it was becoming too dangerous to keep Zelda ignorant about everything. He had no idea how she would react to the news, but almost definitely wouldn't be good. She could be heartbroken about what was going to happen to him, angry over the fact that he had lied to her about something so important, or resolved to fix something she could do nothing to change. And the more the hero thought about it, the more he didn't want to delay the inevitable. He had to tell her, to leave her with no more confusion or questions, before it was too late.

"Zelda, wait," Link said, gently grabbing the girl's hand to stop her in her tracks.

"What is it, Link?" she asked, turning to him and raising a curious eyebrow at him.

The hero took in a deep breath as he looked down, avoiding eye contact with her dark blue gaze. "There's something important that I have to tell you..." he said, trying to formulate his explanation.

She said nothing but simply gave him a questioning look that told him to continue. Looking to her once more, Link closed his eyes and prepared to begin. "Zelda..." he said slowly. "I-" Once more, he was cut off by a new wave of pain rushing through his chest, stronger than any he had experienced before. Unable to stop the corruption coming over him once more, he cried out in agony loudly as he collapsed to the ground, much to Zelda's surprise and worry.

"Link!" she shouted fearfully as she kneeled down beside him and put her arms around him, helping him pull himself up to a sitting position. "What's wrong?! Is it happening again?!" She shook him frantically, recognizing the signs from the previous night. She knew that she had to do everything she could to help him out of it, but she had no idea where to even start.

The girl continued to hold onto him as the hero languished in pain, his chest wound tearing itself open again and his body wracked with feverish shivers and sweats. Majora's sadistic voice rang out louder than ever within his mind, pressing its influence more than it ever had before. "_Yes... That's right, hero_..." it cooed evilly as Link felt everything begin to grow numb both physically and mentally. "_Succumb to the darkness... You cannot escape it... Fighting it will only cause you more suffering..."_

The demon cast another wave of intense pain throughout the hero and he cried out once more as Zelda wrapped her arms around him even tighter, trying to bring him comfort with her presence. "N-no..." he audibly begged in absolute misery to the demon. "Please... S-stop..."

"Stop?" the girl asked with deep pity, having heard him and believing that he was talking to her. "Stop what? Link, what's wrong?! Please, tell me!" By this point, she was almost on the verge of tears with worry for him and she wanted nothing more than to be able to heal him, even though she didn't know how.

_"You know as well as I do that you want nothing more than the pain to end_..." Majora continued to taunt him. "_And there is only one way to end it... Relent... Stop your useless fighting, hero... Its so much easier to just... give up..."_

_Give up_... those softly-said words repeated themselves over and over in the hero's mind as he fell deeper and deeper into corruption. The pain, both physically and mentally was just too much for him to bear and as his mind fell into a haze, he unknowingly heeded the words of the demon, loosing complete control of everything all at once.

"Link!" Zelda continued to call out as the hero fell limp in her arms. Her pressing tears finally began to stream down her cheeks as she cried out in desperation, knowing that they would be getting no help from anyone since they were really the only ones in the immediate area. Or so she thought.

As Zelda began to think that Link had fallen into unconsciousness, he suddenly stiffened up and seemed to awaken. But when he opened his eyes, the girl noticed something extremely unnerving about them. Not only were they distant and unfocused, but they almost appeared to be glazed over and his already light blue eyes were even lighter than usual, to the point that they almost seemed to be white. His pupils also took on a very pale color and as Zelda gazed into them in both fear and wonder, she realized that, at least for the moment, her hero was lost to whatever was happening to him once more. She quickly scrambled to her feet and backed away from him, afraid that he'd attempt to hurt her once more. No more than a second after she had stepped away, Link also rose to his feet slowly and unnaturally, as if he wasn't moving on his own. The girl kept her eyes locked onto him as he took a step towards her, her heart pounding in adrenaline and dread.

"Link!" she shouted as she continued to move away from him wearily, though he followed her every step. "Link, please! Snap out of it! I don't know what's wrong with you, but you need to wake up, now!" Despite the fact that she was practically screaming, her pleas fell on deaf ears. It was like the hero couldn't hear a word she said, much to her sorrow.

Eventually, Zelda backed herself up into a large tree and much too late she realized that she was cornered. Her eyes were wide as Link continued his approach and all too quickly, bridged the small gap between them. The girl was at a complete loss for words as the hero pushed her into the tree roughly and smashed her shoulder against it, pinning her by to the wood of the tree by it using his strong hand. She struggled to free herself from his grip, especially as she watched him draw the Great Fairy's Sword and poise it in a position to strike, but it was no use. She was trapped, most certainly about to die at the hands of her beloved hero. It was simply too much for her to bear. With a slow, grieved breath, she lowered her head so she wouldn't have to watch him bring the sword down against his will. This was the last way she wanted to die, but it seemed to be happening and the situation was completely out of her control. And so, she glanced up at her hero's cold, emotionless face and let her tears fall freely as she gave him her final goodbye. "Link..." she whispered morosely, remembering how happy she had been only a few nights before with him as they proclaimed how they felt to each other, memories that were long gone now. "I... I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you... This... this isn't you... I know you would never do this... Because... because you love me... and... I love you..."

The hero still had his sword raised, but he didn't bring it down after she said this. The girl stared at him intensely, wondering what he was waiting for until she noticed that his sword hand was shaking. She took in a sharp gasp of surprise, realization and hope as he closed his eyes tightly and lowered his head, apparently fighting off whatever had overtaken him. Unbeknownst to Zelda, Link had heard her final words and they had filled him with a renewed desire to fight the demon harder than he ever had before. Majora pressed its dark influence hard against him, but the hero continued to resist. All the while, the girl stood in a stunned state, still pinned to the tree as she watched and prayed that her hero could make it out of this.

_"You infernal hero_!" Majora screamed in rage inside of the hero's mind. "_You will pay for such insubordination, and so will SHE!"_

Despite the demon's warning, Link continued to struggle against the corruption, knowing that if he didn't, Zelda would be the one who would suffer. But Majora still had a strong hold over him physically, even if he had broken free mentally. And under this tight control, the demon forced the hero's hand. Slowly, he began to bring the sword down towards the girl against his will, resisting the movement as hard as he could, but ultimately failing. Zelda let out a sharp, pained gasp as the sharp sword touched her free shoulder blade and began to dig into her flesh slowly, drawing blood. She let out a soft cry as she tried to pull away from it, but couldn't thanks to Link still holding her down.

However, upon hearing her pained cry, the hero's resistance grew even more until he shattered the demon's influence all at once. He opened his eyes wide as he gasped, being drawn back into full control of himself. And the very first thing he noticed was that the tip of his sword was still dug into Zelda's shoulder as she watched him with worried, tearful eyes. Without any further hesitation, he quickly slipped the sword out of her skin as painlessly as he could for her and relinquished his harsh grip on her. Neither of them said anything as they gazed into each other's eyes in sorrow, fear and dread.

Zelda slowly clutched her shoulder to quell the light flow of blood and looked down, unable to find any words to say. She was certainly glad that he was returned to normal, but for how long? This was the third time as far as she knew that something like this had happened. She knew that they might not be as lucky the next time and it could end with one of them, if not both, loosing their lives. Now more than ever, she knew that they had to hurry to get Terminus's help, if she could even help them at all.

At the same time, Link stood still, catching his lost breath and simply trying to recover and cope with what had just happened. He unceremoniously dropped his blood-stained blade to the ground as he looked away from Zelda, knowing that he had almost killed her this time. And even more than that, he had actually physically wounded her, something he had vowed to never do. The demon had taken complete and total control over him, and he had been too weak to break free from it until it was almost too late. For the first time, he began to doubt whether he could actually overcome this corruption once and for all. Link knew that if he failed, not only would he loose himself once and for all, but the demon would also force him to kill Zelda. He wanted to fight it, but with each spell of corruption that he fell into, it became increasingly more difficult to. The possibility of him breaking free from it forever was growing more and more slim, but he couldn't let her know that. He had already put her through enough. The chances of him hurting her or worse were just too high. He wasn't going to put her life in danger simply by being around her any longer. He wasn't sure where he was going to go, but he had to put a distance between them until he could either sort this out or be so far away from her that if he really did succumb to corruption, then he wouldn't be able to hurt her. And so, before she could protest, he backed away from her and then turned and ran out of the clearing they were in as fast as he could.

Zelda gasped as she saw him flee once more and she immediately started to chase after him. "Link!" she called out, trying to get him to stop so they could at least talk this time. "Wait!"

Link heard her clearly as he crashed through the deep woods, but he didn't stop or even bother to glance back. Instead he kept his focus on the path ahead of him, not even really caring where he was going but know that he had to get as far away as he could. He couldn't stop to explain it to her because he knew that she would refuse to let him go, even though he knew what he had to do for her sake. It was really the only think he could think of that could keep her safe. He could only hope that their separation wouldn't be permanent.

Eventually, Link made it to the edge of the forest that opened out into the field as Zelda's calls for him grew more and more distant. But he still continued to run, not wanting to leave any tracks by which she could follow him. However, he had only made it a few feet out of the woods when a sudden explosion rattled the ground directly in front of him, sending him flying back several feet violently. The mysterious blast created a vast amount of lingering dust and as the hero tried to pick himself up from it he suddenly felt excessively weak for some reason, as if the explosion had carried some sort of magical effect with it. He struggled to breathe and see clearly in the dust, but as it began to settle, he barely made out a figure leaping high into the air in an attempt to pounce on him with their weapons. Link rolled out of the way just in time as the figure landed, embedding their two knives into the ground in the spot where he had been. He rose to his feet and watched them warily as the figure also stood and he reached for his sword, which unfortunately wasn't there anymore.

As the dust finally cleared, his attacker's appearance became clear, as did the fact that they were not alone. A band of at least ten warriors of various genders, all armed with various weapons. The only things that they all had in common in their appearances were their piercing red eyes, lightly tanned skin and the conspicuous eye symbol that they all bore on their clothing. Their leader, the one who had initially attacked Link, was a young woman, thin, limber and clearly not much older than the hero himself. Like the rest of her companions, she had dark skin and deep, fierce red eyes, though one of them was covered by a thick bang of unbroken orange hair with a single silver highlight running down it. The rest of her hair was quite short, only reaching down to the back of her neck and she wore a dark violet midriff-bearing top bearing the eye symbol on it. Her pants were dark blue and reached down to her ankles and hanging along her red belt was a banner that bore an eye symbol that looked different from the original one. She stood firm before her followers, holding onto her matching sharp knives that shined as though they were made of gold. Her bitter red gaze locked onto the hero and she scowled viciously, angry that her sneak attack had failed.

"Who are you?" Link questioned her, taking up a defensive position despite the fact that he was unarmed and unprepared for a fight.

The young woman smiled wickedly, her crimson eye seeming to flash with violence. "Who are we?" she repeated with a slight snicker, glancing back to her followers. "Why, we're _allies_ of her _grace_..." Her sarcastic grin deepened as she raced forward on fast, light feet, both of her knives poised to run the hero through. He luckily had the wits about him to dodge her attack, but the woman didn't give up so easily. She snapped her fingers, sending her followers into action. They surrounded Link on all sides, their weapons positioned to attack him from every angle. He had been out of tighter spots before, but in all of those occasions he had been wielding a sword. The fact that he didn't have one, coupled with the fact that his chest wound was still causing him a significant amount of pain, made his chances of escape quite slim.

The group of warriors didn't even give him any time to strategize however, as they already began to rush for him all at once. The moved like lightning, pouncing upon the hero before he could even try to react. All of them used their deadly weapons to land at least one cut or minor injury upon him in one way or another. And while none of the cuts were that significant, the warriors apparently had some type of dark magic infused into their blades because with each hit was more painful to him than the last. They continued their assault and he was unable to do anything to stop them as he collapsed to his knees from the increasing pain.

"Enough!" their leader finally called out and the attack came to a grinding halt. The entirety of the group backed away from Link, clearing the way for the leader to approach him slowly with a malicious grin on her thin lips. "So," she sneered as she placed the tip of her knife under his chin and forced him to look up at her. "You're Hylia's precious, loyal, courageous little 'hero'... You don't look that impressive up close. You're just a boy!" She snickered cruelly and all of her followers joined in.

Link scowled at her, but quickly came up with an insult to send back at her. "Well, you're just a girl!" he said smartly. The young woman glared wickedly at him and he could clearly tell that he got the better of her.

"You must think you're pretty clever, huh hero?" she taunted him, slowly moving her knife down to his left arm. "You won't be so foolishly brazen when you see our true power!" She laughed coldly as she plunged her knife into the skin near his shoulder and ran it down the length of his arm slowly and torturously, the magic of the blade filling him with an unbearable burning sensation. Unable to keep quiet any longer, the hero cried out loudly in agony, a sound that Zelda clearly heard as she searched for him in the woods. It took her less than a second to know he was in trouble and she ran in the direction of his cry as fast as she could, wanting nothing more than to help him and ease his pain.

The young woman slipped her knife out of Link's arm and slowly moved to stand behind him while he continued to suffer from the lingering pain of both his new arm wound and his still bleeding chest. She raised her knife high into the air and flashed an evil smile that the hero did not see. And before he could turn around to see what she was doing, she brought the handle of the weapon down and smashed it into the back of his head roughly, knocking him down completely and throwing him into semi-consciousness. "Where's your beloved goddess now, _hero_?" she said mockingly, positioning her knife high above him so she could plunge it into his exposed back for the final blow.

"I'm right here!" Zelda said firmly as she broke into the field, having already witnessed the woman strike him down from the woods. The young woman smiled with satisfaction as she watched the girl run to stand in between her and Link, protecting him from the deadly blade. "And if you want to kill him, then you're going to have to go through me."

The woman's grin deepened as she lowered her knife and took a step back. "Hylia..." she said smoothly. "What an honor it is to finally meet 'her grace' in the flesh..." She mockingly bowed before Zelda, showing no signs of respect as the rest of the group copied her, muttering curses against the goddess under their breaths.

"Who are you?" the girl asked, glaring suspiciously at their leader.

"You don't know?" the leader asked. "We are your loyal servants, Hylia..." she said sarcastically. "We are of the Sheikah tribe..."

Zelda glanced over every member of the group and noticed that they all bore the symbol of the Sheikah tribe on their clothing, but she still refused to believe them. "You are not Sheikah," she said, glaring at them. "The Sheikah were charged by the goddesses to help Hylia protect this land, not assault her chosen hero viscously. So who are you really, and what do you want?"

The young woman finally frowned as she glanced back to her followers. "I suppose you're right..." she said calmly. "We are not Sheikah... anymore. We broke away from your loyal little followers quite some time ago..."

"Why?" the girl asked warily, knowing that these people had to be considered as enemies.

"Because... we want two things: glory and power."

"And how do you intend to get them?" Zelda asked.

The woman smiled. "Firstly by taking the Triforce as our own and then making you pay for disregarding us," she explained.

"How did I disregard you?" Zelda asked in confusion. "I've never had anything but the deepest respect for your tribe. If it wasn't for Impa, I wouldn't even be alive now."

"I bet you would like to think that all of us are as noble as Impa was..." the woman said coldly. "But we're aren't. Some of us have much more ambition than our brethren. We aren't satisfied with simply living to serve you. Our purpose is so much more than that and we're going to make sure you know that."

Zelda glanced down, wondering why these former Sheikah were so bitter towards her when she really didn't do anything. And even more than that, why did they attack Link? Because he had been vulnerable? Because they wanted to make her suffer by seeing him in pain? Their plan didn't seem to make any sense to her but it filled her with dread nonetheless. It was obvious to her now that the dark presence she had sensed earlier had come from these rebels and she knew that they must have had control over some kind of evil power, whatever it might be. "So who are you?" she said directly to the young woman. "Are you the one in charge of all this?"

The woman smirked and nodded. "I am," she said with pride. "I was the first one to realize just how much of a tyrant you really are. My name is Veress."

"Why did you attack Link?" Zelda asked. "He isn't a part of this. Your problem is with me, not him."

Veress scowled down at the hero as he slowly began to stir back into consciousness. "But our problem is with your hero, Hylia..." she said hatefully. "We were supposed to be the ones to take on Demise for you, but then you decided to pick a random hero to do the job instead of us! Its only fair that he suffers just as much as you do for stealing away the glory that was so rightfully ours! And..." she said, starting to take a step closer towards the two of them as she raised her knives a bit. "If you'll move aside, I'll be able to finish the job that I just started."

"Wait!" Zelda cried out in desperation, knowing that this was no hallow threat. Veress had every intention of killing Link right then and there, and there was no way he could protect himself against it. Zelda wasn't about to sit by and just let it happen. She had to do something, but she had no idea what she could do at a moment like this. "Please. Don't hurt him," she said as calmly as she could, fighting back her fearful tears. "If you leave him alone... then... then... I'll do anything you want..."

Veress raised her eyebrows upon hearing this suggestion. "Your offer is quite tantalizing, Hylia..." she cooed evilly as she sheathed her knives and slowly moved to circle the girl and the hero. "Or should we call you _Zelda_ now... But what could you possibly do for us that we'd want...? How about... breaking that little seal you cast over the Triforce earlier today, hm?"

Zelda's expression hardened, knowing that as much as she wanted to save Link's life, this was the one thing she absolutely couldn't do. "I can't..." she said, looking down in grief. "And I won't. I'm not just giving you the Triforce like that. But... anything else... anything at all, I will do it..."

As the girl made her entreaty to the rebel leader, the hero finally found his way back into consciousness, even though his mind was still in a haze and he was unable to really move, thanks to the paralyzing magic that Veress had cast over him earlier. But nonetheless, he had heard Zelda's voice nearby and with a quiet moan, he glanced up to look at her. "Zelda..." he muttered tiredly as the girl looked down at him with worry. She was tempted to lean down to his level, but she was afraid that Veress would try for a sneak attack on both of them is she did. So instead, she simply gave him a small smile of reassurance, though she was unable to hide the dread and sorrow in her eyes as she tried to work her way out of an impossible situation.

"Anything?" Veress asked, glancing down towards the hero as well. "So, not counting the Triforce, you would be willing to give up anything at all for your beloved hero?"

"Yes," Zelda nodded. "Anything."

Veress smirked darkly. "What a waste..." she scoffed.

"No its not!" she protested firmly. "He would make the same sacrifice for me! I know he would! And besides, I love him! So tell me what you want and I'll give it to you. Just spare him!"

Link had heard what she had said clearly and gained an understanding of the conversation. Zelda was willing to give up almost anything for him and though he knew that he would do the same for her, he couldn't let her do something like that. Especially if Veress and her followers sought the girl's life. "Zelda..." he moaned up to her again, louder this time as he tried his hardest to move but failed. "N-no..."

Zelda glanced down at him sadly, almost on the verge of tears. "I have to..." she mouthed to him before looking back to Veress with determination. "So... what do you want?"

Veress was silent for a moment before giving her a broad smile. "I know exactly what I want, Hylia..." she said, putting her hands behind her back. "But first, I'd like to make a little trade with you. The life of your hero for one of two options: the Triforce... or your freedom."

Zelda took in a deep breath as she weighed her options. "I won't let you have the Triforce," she said firmly. "And I never will... And I won't let you hurt him anymore."

"And so your only option seems quite clear... doesn't it, Zelda?" Veress asked with a triumphant grin.

The girl looked down to the hero behind her in grief that he returned in his own gaze. "Please..." he begged her softly, knowing that he wasn't worth her giving up her freedom for his sake. "Don't do this..."

Finally relenting, she kneeled down beside him and took his hand. "I have to..." she whispered back, finally letting a few tears spill down her cheeks. "For you..." She took in another deep breath as she rose to stand and face Veress once more. "Fine," she said in resignation. "I'll go with you..."

"You will go quietly?" Veress asked, crossing her arms. "And you won't fight?"

"I won't fight," Zelda nodded solemnly. "You have my word."

"And you have my word that I won't lay another finger on your dear hero..." Veress said with a cold grin. "See how easy that was, Hylia? You can actually be quite compliant when something you care about is on the line..."

Zelda sucked in a tearful breath as she realized exactly what she had just agreed to. She had basically sold herself into captivity, a captivity that would most likely be filled with awful torture and pain. And there would be a great chance that she would never be free again. But at the very least, she had done what she had to and had saved the two things that she absolutely had to protect. "Can I at least have one more moment before we... go...?" she asked, glancing down at Link again.

Veress scowled at both of them but nodded nonetheless. "I don't see why not," she said callously, turning her back to the two of them. "After all, you won't be seeing him for quite some time..."

Zelda wasted no time. She kneeled down beside her hero once more and took both of his limp hands into hers. "Zelda..." Link pleaded with her desperately. "Please. There's still time. You can still get out of this. Save yourself before its too late."

The girl shook her head and tried to press her tears back. "I can't, Link..." she said morosely. "You saved me more than once... Now I'm returning the favor the only way that I can... I'm so sorry..."

"No," he said, giving her hands a slight squeeze. "Don't be. If anyone should be sorry, it should be me. I couldn't protect you when you needed me to."

"We don't have time to blame each other now..." Zelda whispered, knowing how heartbroken they both were over the whole situation. "Right now I need you to listen carefully. I need you to take the harp and the Ocarina of Time and keep them safe," she hurriedly slipped both of the instruments into his gear bag, so Veress and her followers wouldn't find them. "Right now, they're the only things that can ensure the Triforce's safety. Please Link, protect the Triforce. Don't let them get their hands on it."

"I promise," he said firmly. "And I also promise that I will come find you. I don't care how much magic they have, I'll do anything it takes to save you."

"Oh Link..." Zelda said in grief. "I... I love you... Don't forget that..."

"I love you too," the hero said, wishing with all his heart that he could do anything at all to keep her from going with these scum. "And Zelda-"

"Time's up, your grace!" Veress's voice broke through whatever he was going to say as one of her followers grabbed Zelda roughly by the arm and started to drag her away. "Say goodbye!"

"Zelda!" Link called out after her, breaking through his strong paralysis to extend a hand out to her.

"Link!" Zelda called back, tears flowing down her cheeks as she took in perhaps her final glimpse of her beloved hero before the warrior that held onto her threw something down to the ground and disappeared with her on the breath of the small flash it created. Soon enough, the entirety of the group vanished in a similar manner until the only one left was Veress. She stood triumphantly over the hero, looking down at him in superiority.

Link glared up at her with hostility, wishing that he could move simply so he could strike her down for taking Zelda away from him. "You'll never get away with this," he hissed angrily. "If you hurt her, then I'll-"

"You'll what?" she interrupted him coldly. "Try to finish her off yourself like you did in the woods earlier? You know, for Hylia's supposedly 'strong, great' hero, you certainly are weak. Its almost not fair that I have to kill you..."

"But you promised her that you wouldn't!" he shouted, not trying to save himself but rather not wanting to let Zelda's selfless sacrifice be in vain.

"You really think that vow meant anything?" Veress cooed. "Please. You're both so gullible... But don't worry hero... I'll be fair. I think you've suffered enough, so I'll make this simple..." Before Link could say another word, the woman kicked him in the back of the head brutally, sending him into full unconsciousness. With a bloodthirsty grin, she raise one of her knives high into the air, but before she could plunge it into his back, another knife whizzed past her face, narrowly missing it. Veress jumped back, drawing her other knife as she watched another figure leap onto the scene from the forest.

"Ah..." Veress said as she watched the Sheikah land gracefully in between her and the hero. "Sheik... I was wondering when you were going to show up..."

"Veress!" Sheik shouted in raw fury. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Well, whatever I've done, you've clearly arrived far too late to stop me..." Veress grinned. "The only thing you prevented was the death of that useless hero, though that will happen sooner or later, I'm sure of that. But there's no way either of you can possibly help the goddess now..."

Sheik's scarlet eyes widened as she took in a sharp gasp. "What have you done with her grace?!" she demanded hotly.

"We've taken her away..." Veress explained coyly. "To someplace you'll never find her..."

"Why?" Sheik asked, barely able to contain her extreme anger and frustration. "Why are you doing this, Veress?"

"Why?" Veress repeated as her smile faded. "Because... I want what you can never give our tribe. Glory! Honor! Power! And the only way I can do that is to make Hylia and her hero see the error of their ways."

"You speak of honor?!" Sheik hissed, drawing out her long wooden staff in preparation to fight. "You don't know what honor is, Veress! You and those who blindly follow after you are a disgrace to our tribe! I have no choice but to banish you and all other traitors from the Sheikah tribe forever! If you come into our territory, you will be considered an enemy and we will not hesitate to strike you down on the spot!"

"Ha!" Veress laughed triumphantly. "You really think you can stop us, Sheik? Then you're just as much of a fool as the hero is! We have power unlike any you have ever seen before! And when we unleash it, then no one will be able to stand against our might!" She laughed wickedly as she vanished using the same method of her followers to parts unknown, leaving Sheik to stand before the unconscious hero.

The Sheikah sighed bitterly as her new adversary disappeared, knowing that for the first time ever, she had failed in her duty of protecting the goddess. It was a task that she had been charged with ever since she had been appointed to her position as the matriarch of her tribe. Great shame overcame her as she knew that there was really nothing she could do at the moment to undo what had been done. But, as she looked down to the injured hero at her feet, she knew the only thing she could do at the moment to carry out her duty in full.

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**AHHHHHHHH! I THOUGHT THIS CHAPTER WAS CRAZY! But seriously, I almost broke down and cried like five times while I was writing this chapter! I really poured my heart and soul into it, as you can most likely tell. But I'm excited for the next chapter because we're really going to meet Sheik in depth and I already have her character really developed! I can't wait for it! So as always leave a REVIEW! Until Next Time!**


	10. The Leader of the Sheikahs

_Ok... so I'm a little depressed... I mean, seriously guys. Only 2 reviews for the last chapter?! I mean come ON! I poured my all into that chapter! sigh... Oh well... Maybe this chapter will do better... In truth, I had it finished 2 days ago, but I had been holding out on posting it waiting for another review. But my hopes (and my self esteem) were smashed, so I just decided to post it because I really got into writing it. Well enough for my little pity party here, onto the reviews!_

**Zelink005**_-Yeah, I had to keep stalling just a LITTLE bit longer! XD And Veress should bring back memories of Veran, after all, Veran is Veress' descendant! (Spoilers!) hahaha anyway, I hope you continue to enjoy her!_

**Mekuda**_-It was a pretty heavy chapter come to think of it... And yeah, Veress won't be as powerful as Veran, but she'll be just as ruthless and cruel! Though she will be a bit more sympathetic, with a more developed backstory, which will be seen later on! And as for Sheik, this chapter is pretty much centered around her, so enjoy!_

_And that's pretty much it! Let's get started!_

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_Chapter 9: The Leader of the Sheikahs_

As the hero seemed to awaken, he found himself standing within the almost endless field, the skies overhead a dreamlike shade of blue. Glancing around his surroundings, Link eventually caught on to the sound of soft crying from not too far. Turning around, he found Zelda sitting on her knees a few feet behind him, her face buried into her hands as she sobbed heavily.

"Zelda!" Link called out worriedly to her as he began to hurry her way. She glanced up to look at him and let out a gasp of terror and shock.

"No!" she screamed in fright, scrambling to her feet and revealing her bloodstained stomach, her dress and skin torn open with a heavy cut. "Stay away! Don't come near me!"

"Zelda..." the hero said in complete surprise and grief as he stared at her possibly fatal wound and wondered where it could have came from. "What happened to you?!"

"You should know!" she shouted at him with contempt as she backed away from his approach. "After all, YOU did this to me!"

"What?!" Link exclaimed, knowing that this was claim preposterous. "I would never hurt you! You know that!"

"I thought I did, Link!" Zelda said, betrayal and sorrow showing in her dark blue eyes. "You told me that you loved me... Was that just a lie?! Did you ever really even care about me at all?!"

"Zelda," he said firmly, trying to stay calm for her sake. "I do love you!"

"Then how could you possibly do this to me!?" she cried, her face stained with tears. "I can never trust you again! You're nothing more than... than a monster!" With one final hate-filled glare, the girl turned from him and ran away as the field began to vanish into darkness and as she approached a familiar red eye symbol, her image faded completely, leaving the hero alone, confused and distraught.

"Zelda..." he muttered despondently, almost on the verge of tears. "No..."

"_So... it appears your beloved goddess is gone... yes, hero_?" Majora's sinister voice began to echo throughout the area. "_She spoke truly though... You certainly are a monster..."_

Link glared into the darkness around him, wanting nothing more than to rip the relentless demon to shreds for making Zelda think that he would ever hurt her. "I've had enough of this!" he shouted out in raw fury. "Leave us both alone! _Now_!

The demon simply laughed tauntingly. _"And where's the fun in that...?_" it asked maliciously. "_I don't think you really understand yet, do you hero? The lives of you and your goddess matter little to me... You WILL murder her for me and then, you WILL be my slave for all eternity! Behold_!" Majora cackled as a reflective surface suddenly appeared directly before the hero, showing his mirror image. However, it only stayed normal for a moment as his image gradually took on the frightening appearance of the Fierce Deity. Link gasped and took a step away from it, telling himself that the warrior in the mirror was not him, but ultimately knowing that it was. _"This is your future, hero_!" Majora shouted triumphantly._ "This is all you were ever destined to become!"_

"No!" Link protested strongly, looking away from his near-mirror image. "That's not me!"

"_Ah, but it is_..." the demon laughed sadistically. "_And you know that it is... Why do you struggle so much, hero? I could make you a god, strong enough to take down all those who stand in your way. Do you not want the limitless power I could grant you? Do you not want immortality and strength that you could never obtain as a mere mortal?"_

"Not if I have to use it serving you!" the hero shouted angrily, not even tempted to take the demon up on its vile offer.

"_You certainly are strong-willed, boy_..." Majora mused thoughtfully. "_The Spirit of the Hero that dwells within you resists me strongly, as does your own power... But it matters little. They will both fall to my might in due time... And once you succumb to my corruption, then I will make you pay for your foolish resistance. Everything you care about, everything you hold dear, including your beloved goddess, will be destroyed by your own hands. You will be feared and hated by those you love! Not that you will know it... By then, all of your thoughts and memories will be long gone, devoured by the darkness that you are quickly falling into. You know that resisting it is a waste of your waning strength..._" As the demon spoke, Link felt something wrap itself around his entire body tightly, even though he couldn't see what it was. The strange force kept him from moving as it obscured his vision and began to suffocate him. "_You have so much potential, hero_..." Majora continued as the hero began to grow weaker and weaker. "_Why waste it in a simple existence of protecting the goddess? You are destined for so much more... Let me guide you to your fate... Together, we shall rule this land, and all lands_!"

In the mist of his clouded mind, Link began to feel compelled to listen to the words of the demon and let them sink in. For some reason, he began to see truth in them and found the offer tantalizing, though he didn't realize the Majora was actually taking control of his mind and forcing him to think in such a way. The promise of power and immortality suddenly sounded very pleasant to the hero as the demon continued to coax him in a soft and falsely gently voice. He began to fall into a semi-conscious, sedated spell as Majora continued to beckon him into corruption.

"_Yes_..." the demon whispered comfortingly as a bitter chill filled the hero's body. "_That's right... Come to me... I can make you more powerful than you could ever dream... All you have to do is give yourself to me..."_

Right before Link fell into total corruption however, a bright blue light flashed across the empty area, causing the demon to screech out in surprise and pain at its purity. "Ancient demon of Termina..." a new voice echoed across the area, admonishing Majora firmly. "Leave the soul of the hero alone... His destiny is not to fall into your corruption... Rather, it is to ensure the safety of the goddess and this land..."

"_No_!" Majora cried out angrily as its control over the hero began to waver. "_He will never be free! Your foolish attempts to save him will be futile, sword spirit! You cannot protect him from me forever!"_

The voice was silent for a moment before continuing. "You are correct..." it said calmly. "But I can protect him from you now..." The pure light flashed even brighter over the area as its strength drove the demon away. Link slowly regained control of his thoughts, though his movement was still restricted. The light dimmed down as it shone over him, comforting him with its bright warmth. "Master..." the familiar voice called out to him as a being appeared, floating in the midst of the light like an angel. Link immediately recognized who this being was and though he was unable to call out to her at the moment, he was certainly glad that she was there. "Master Link... Heed my words... As you know, Zelda has been taken away by those who are traitors to the goddess. They are powerful magic wielders, and are extremely dangerous to those who do not know how to fight them. And so it is that you must come and take up the Master Sword once more. With my aid, you will be able to find where they have taken her grace and with the sacred might of the blade of evil's bane, you will find the power to banish their darkness... Master, please hurry...Come to the Sealed Temple... The safety of both the goddess and the surface rests in your hands once more..."

As her soft voice and her image faded away, another voice spoke to him as the restricting bonds that covered him vanished all at once. "Link..." the person whispered comfortingly, easing his soul as they wrapped their warm arms around him.

"Zelda..." the hero sighed in relief as he turned to look at the girl who stood beside him, holding him in a tender embrace. She smiled warmly and lovingly at him, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Shh..." she quieted him softly. "Its all ok now... We'll be together again... All you have to do is come find me... I know you can do it... I believe in you... and I love you..."

He opened his mouth to give her a reply, but he was cut off by the sudden sound of harp music wafting through the area softly. It played a soothing, comforting melody that coaxed him into a state of contented peace. Zelda continued to hold onto him as Link let the pleasant music carry him away, until everything faded into the distance.

* * *

The gentle harp music continued to sound from somewhere nearby as Link finally regained full consciousness. The memories of what happened the last time he was awake hit him almost immediately, as did the shame, guilt and sorrow of what had happened. Zelda was gone, taken away by the mysterious and treacherous Veress and her followers to parts unknown. And all because he had been too weak to protect her at the most critical moment. And even more than that, the only reason that she had been taken captive was to save his life, even after he had almost killed her. The only upside to all of this was that he couldn't put her life in danger any more thanks to the unknown distance between them, even though his most recent dream, or nightmare rather, had unnerved him a great deal. Despite the fact that it had ended in comfort, the demon still intended to beckon him into corruption and he knew that if he did succumb to it, he would never be free again.

With a quiet moan, the hero slowly sat up, even though every inch of him felt like it was sore, especially his head. Looking around, he saw that he was lying on a mat within in an unfamiliar, mostly empty, dark room with no windows, the only source of light coming from a small candle not too far away. Link had no idea where he was or how he got there, but all he could really think about was the fact that he had no idea where to really start on saving Zelda, except for the one vague lead that his dream had given him.

"Ah..." a calm female voice said to him as the harp music suddenly stopped. "I see that you are finally awake..." A young woman who looked to be the same age as the hero emerged from the shadows of the room, giving him a stone cold expression. She was slender but tall, with delicate yet strong features. The top of her head was wrapped in clean, white cloth bandages, but a thick bang of golden blond hair stuck out from it and hung over one of her eyes. Her other eye was bright red and piercing, decorated with a tattoo of a white teardrop that ran down her cheek, coupled with the design of three triangle shaped eyelashes above it. She had a small scar on the lower side of her left cheek, adding to her harsh, yet mysterious appearance. A long blond braid ran down her back, wrapped with white ribbons and capped off at the end with a sharp, metal tip. She wore dark blue clothes and it was clear that they were reinforced with thin blue and orange armor, and hanging from her orange cloth belt was a set of large, similarly colored feathers. Based on the golden eye symbol that adorned her top, Link gathered that she was of the same tribe as the group that attacked him on the field and took Zelda away. Though he was inclined to lash out at her in anger for what her supposed brethren did to both of them, at same time, he didn't want to believe that she was evil. First of all, she bore an uncanny resemblance to Impa, whose help to both the hero and the girl had been invaluable during their fight against Demise and Ghirahim. Secondly, she held the Goddess's Harp near her side, showing that she had been the one who had been playing the gentle, soothing music that he had woken up to. And finally, whoever this young woman was, she had apparently saved him from Veress at the last second before she could land the final blow and not only that, it seemed as though she had brought him to this safe place, wherever it was, and tended to his wounds.

"Who are you?" Link asked, still examining her warily.

The girl's expression did not change, though her sharp scarlet eye seemed to shine in the low candle light. "I am Sheik," she said cryptically in her smooth voice. "I am the leader of the Sheikah tribe."

"Sheikah?" the hero asked suspiciously, glaring at her tightly. "You mean like the ones who captured Zelda?"

Sheik's one visible eye grew fierce and angry. "No," she said firmly. "The ones who attacked you and took her grace away have been disowned from our tribe for their rebellion. They are led by Veress, who incited greed and jealousy inside the hearts of many former, loyal warriors of our tribe, at least two hundred of them by now. They hold a strange, dark power, one that was crafted by the forbidden magic of our ancient ancestors. They can longer be called Sheikah... Those who are still loyal to the goddess call them the "Interlopers", for they have wrongly interfered in the safety of both this land and her grace, shifting the balance of both our tribe and the order of this land."

"What do you mean?" Link asked, confused about her last statement.

"The Sheikah are a tribe that dwells within the shadows," Sheik explained. "Our sole duty is to protect the goddess reborn in secret. Most of us are not supposed to even be seen by your kind. Because of the Interlopers however, it has become necessary to reveal ourselves to you... You might remember the great Impa... She was the matriarch of our tribe before me. When her duty to the goddess had been fulfilled and she passed on, I inherited the position as well as the duty of guarding the goddess in the event that her chosen hero fails to do so..." the Sheikah looked at the hero with slight contempt, though there was slight inner shame showing in her crimson eye.

Link wanted to argue with what she had just said, but he knew what she was implying was absolutely correct. He had failed Zelda in every sense of the word. The very thought made him wish that he could go back in time and keep this catastrophe from happening altogether, but it was too late to change what had already happened, as terrible as it had been. "So..." Link said to the Sheikah girl, looking to her solemnly. "I guess we both failed then, huh?"

Sheik's expression flashed with anger once more. "There's one thing you need to understand about me right now, hero," she said quietly and firmly, getting closer to him and looking him straight in the eyes. "If there's one thing I never do, its fail."

The hero couldn't keep himself from cracking a slight grin at this, much to the Sheikah's annoyance. "I used to think the same thing..." he said with both slyness and melancholy. "Until the first time I did... Since then, it seems like I've been doing nothing but failing..."

Sheik's gaze softened and she looked at him with understanding. "I... I am sorry..." she said, backing away and glancing down. "I have witnessed your recent trials lately, hero... or perhaps, considering the circumstances, I should call you Link... These past few days have been particularly hard for you... You have been struggling with something that no one else can see for some reason... What is it?"

The hero sighed and look away from her. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you..." he said morosely.

For the first time since their meeting, Sheik smiled, her expression still relaxed as she crossed her arms. "Well then, perhaps we should save it for another time," she said with slight amusement. "For now, I'm afraid that I have to leave you here for now, Link. You're still not finished recovering from your wounds and besides, I have to start scouting for clues about the location of the Interlopers and her grace."

Link stood hastily as Sheik started to head for the door of the room. "Wait," he said, ignoring the lingering ache of his head. "I'm going with you."

Sheik smirked again, letting out a slight laugh. "That's cute, hero-boy," she said rather flirtatiously. "But, no. I know that you want to save the goddess just as much as I do, but this task requires someone who is in full control of their senses, unlike you."

Link didn't let the remark sting as he continued to argue with her. "I'm going, whether you want me to or not," he said with resolve. "I promised Zelda that I would find her and I've never broken a promise that I've made to her before."

Despite the hero's firm determination, Sheik was equally as resilient. "You have no idea what you're up against!" she said as her grin faded. "Though Veress and her followers are banished from our tribe, they are still Sheikah in their blood and fighting style. You have never encountered warriors like them. They are crafty, deceptive and relentless. And if your failure in the field was any indication, then you will not be able to defeat them!"

"I don't care!" Link said, not letting her warning phase him in the slightest. "I don't need your permission to go help Zelda. Besides, you don't even know where to start looking for them and I do! I've saved her before without your help and I will do it again!"

Sheik glared viciously at him for a long moment before sighing in resignation. "You may be either the most stubborn person I've ever met," she said, giving him a sided glance. "Or you're the stupidest. I suppose that we will cover more ground if we work together... But I won't be responsible if you get yourself killed, got it?"

"Fair enough," the hero said with a slight smile, glad that he wouldn't have to start his search for Zelda alone. The help of the Sheikah leader would certainly be helpful in dealing with a group of rouge Sheikah.

"So," Sheik said, gathering her two weapons, a long wooden staff and a short, yet sharp knife. "Where do you suggest we begin?"

"Well..." Link said somewhat hesitantly. "It might sound crazy..."

"After everything I've seen over the years, nothing is crazy to me anymore," Sheik said with a clever grin.

The hero nodded, knowing that while he couldn't tell her about the first half of his dream, he knew that she would definitely believe him about the second half. "I was told in a dream that I needed to go get the Master Sword," he began, though Sheik almost immediately interrupt him.

"The Master Sword?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow at him. "What good is that going to do against the Interlopers?"

"Well, it _does_ have the power to banish evil," Link said with a slight sarcastic grin. "And, it can also help us look for Zelda."

"How in the world can a sword of all things help us do that?" the Sheikah asked skeptically.

"Fi will help us," the hero said with a genunie smile, fondly remembering his former partner.

"Fi? Who's Fi?"

"She's the spirit who lives inside the Master Sword," he explained. "When Zelda went missing the first time, she helped me look for her all over the surface. She might be able to track Zelda and tell us where they've taken her."

Sheik still looked unconvinced about his plan but shrugged nonetheless. "Whatever you say," she said, starting to lead the way out of the door. "All I know is, we need to hurry before they harm the goddess. I have a basic knowledge of their intentions, but I do not know anything of their plans."

"And what are their intentions?" Link asked as Sheik led him down a dark, narrow hallway.

"They want recognition," the Sheikah said ominously, not turning to glance back at him. "They want Hylia to see them as her equals, while at the same time making her pay for what they believe to be a case of betrayal on her part. They wanted to stand against the demon king and defeat him in the name of the goddess to bring honor and glory to our tribe, but when you did it instead, they became bitter... They felt as though her grace had disregarded them and our entire tribe, when, in actuality, she saved us from a great slaughter. We never would have been able to fend off the might of the demon king, despite our numbers and skill. Hylia was wise to choose a hero, though whether or not her decision in choosing you was wise has yet to be seen..."

"I can do without the insults..." the hero frowned. "Are all of you Sheikah like this? Bitter and condescending?"

"Only the good ones," Sheik sent a sly wink back to him. "Why do you ask?"

"Because Impa treated me the same way when I first met her," Link said, remembering back to how she had admonished him harshly upon their initial meeting.

Sheik suddenly stopped in her tracks as she made it to the door at the end of the hallway, looking down and remaining silent for a long moment. "Impa..." she said quietly, sadness creeping into her tone, though she let out a soft laugh. "She was always like that I suppose, especially as she was training me..."

"She trained you?"

Sheik nodded. "Her younger self did, yes. She taught me everything I know, from fighting to magic. When she stepped through time to aid the goddess, she truly had a two-fold purpose in coming to this time: to guide the spirit maiden and to prepare me to take on the position of leader of the Sheikahs when she was gone. She saw potential in me, said that I had the 'eyes of truth', though I still don't know what she meant by that... Before she returned to her own time, she told me something that I'll never forget... she said that she was proud to have me as a descendant..." she smiled warmly at the memory. "Her older self also took me under her wing, practically raising me as her own. She was like a grandmother to me... Teaching me the ancient laws, customs, and legends passed down within our tribe... Always looking out for me... I felt lost when she passed, and often times, I still pine for her presence and guidance... But listen to me go on," she flashed a small smile back to Link. "I don't even know why I'm telling you all this..."

"Its fine," he smiled back, having genuinely enjoyed her interesting story. "After all, if I'm going to be teamed up with someone, I'd prefer to know a little more about them then just their name."

Sheik let out a small chuckle as she placed her hands on her hips. "Alright then," she said coyly. "What about you, hero-boy? I've told you my life story, so what about yours?"

"There isn't that much to tell," the hero said with a shrug. "I lived a normal life in the sky I guess, until Zelda was pulled down here and I came after her to bring her home."

"Short and simple, huh?" she asked with a smirk. "I like that. So if your life was so 'boring' and 'uninteresting' before, when did things finally start to get interesting for you?"

"I'd say around the time I found out that I was the chosen hero, I guess. And since then, things have been getting more and more interesting, though that isn't always a good thing..."

"I know what you mean..." Sheik sighed as she turned away from him once more to open the door in front of her. The door swung open to reveal a place that the hero had never seen before: from their position on a high balcony, an entire village seemed to spread out before them, filled with quaint homes and buildings surrounding a bustling circle. The residents of this town seemed to be solely Sheikahs, as they all shared the same red eyes and styles of clothing. Surrounding the village on all sides seemed to be walls of mountains, making it appear as though it was built within a small valley.

"What is this place?" Link asked, amazed that he had never seen this village before during his travels across the surface.

"This is Kakariko Village," Sheik explained, scanning the area protectively. "It is my home and home to pretty much all of the Sheikah tribe. Impa built it in the ancient days when the goddess sent your kind to live in the sky and we have lived here ever since. It is hidden away from the outside world, and only Sheikahs are capable of finding the entrance. It is our safe haven, where we raise our young and train them to serve the goddesses. It is a sight that very few outsiders will ever see, so I must ask you to keep its existence a secret to everybody, Link... You are the first non-Sheikah who has been to this village in centuries and the only reason I brought you here was to treat your wounds. Do you promise to keep its existence hidden?"

"Yes," the hero said with sincerity. "I promise."

"Thank you," Sheik smiled as she began to lead him down a few sets of ladders to get to the ground of the village. "Now come with me. I have a way for us to get to the Sealed Temple quickly. Kakariko Village is tucked away in the mountains near Eldin Volcano, and on foot it would be a day's trip back to Faron going through the fields." Sheik stopped her explanation for a moment as she led him to a large building near what looked to be the village's gate. "That is why we shall travel like this."

She swung the large doors of the building to reveal a room filled with strange animals that Link had never seen before. They were large, four-legged creatures, with hooves on each foot and long necks. Each of the many animals that stood within their own respective stalls within the room were of a different color and many of them wore leather saddles on the backs, apparently meaning that they were intended to be ridden.

"What are these things?" Link asked in confusion, examining their appearances somewhat warily.

"What?" Sheik asked with annoyance, believing his question to be rather ignorant. "You don't have horses up in the sky?"

"No..." he said, watching as the Sheikah put a hand out to stroke one of the horses on the top of its head. The creature made a soft, contented wicker and Sheik smiled at it briefly before continuing her walk down the line. "But we have Loftwings..."

"What in the world is a Loftwing?" Sheik asked, just as equally confused as he had just been.

"They're large birds that we use to fly around the sky," Link explained. "Do you ride these... horses, too?"

"Of course we do!" Sheik snapped, finally arriving at her horse, which was of a shadowy grey color. "Come here," she said, using a finger to beckon to the hero. "Pet it," she commanded, though he was hesitant to touch the unfamiliar creature. "Just do it!" she growled, growing impatient with him and grabbing his hand to force him to stroke it. The horse reacted calmly to his touch, allowing him to get familiarized with its tame manner. "See?" Sheik asked with a soft grin when she noticed the childlike smile on Link's face. "They're not that bad... And I even have a horse of your very own prepared for you." Sheik nodded to the stall that was next to the one which her horse was in. The horse that stood within this stall was a majestic creature, reddish-brown in color, with a clean, white maine and tail and a strong and study build. The hero stared at the horse as she gazed back at him with her large, dark eyes. "This," Sheik said, giving the horse a pat on the side of her neck. "Is Epona. One of the finest horses we Sheikah own. Her name is ancient Sheikah for 'noble steed'. It took some doing for me to get her for you, but I figured that you'd be stubborn enough to want to come with me and so I had her readied for you so you wouldn't hold me back. I should warn you that she's a little wild. I wasn't expecting you to have no prior experience with horses, after all. But she should be gentle on a first-timer, especially someone whose spent their life riding around on giant birds."

Sheik flashed him another sly grin as she went over to her own steed and slipped on it with ease. Link watched her closely the entire time so he would know what to do. Pushing aside any final reservations about getting on the horse, he slowly approached Epona, who didn't seem to be bothered by his presence at all. And, after establishing an initial trust between them by giving her a soft stroke on her side, the hero climbed onto the horse's back with little trouble. During the entire process, Epona remained very calm and tranquil, as if she completely trusted him, despite the fact that the two of them first met.

"Well," Sheik mused as she glanced over at Link seated on Epona's back properly. "I have to say that for a beginner, you certainly got that quick. You even look a bit more heroic on a horse... So, are you finally ready?"

"To help Zelda?" the hero asked, determination and resolve filling him. "Of course I am. Let's go."

Sheik said nothing but simply smiled with confidence as she pushed her horse forward, leading the way out of the stable. Link watched how she controlled her horse and copied her movements as the two of them started to leave the village, eventually getting used to how Epona moved and steered, finding it to be not that different from guiding a Loftwing. But gradually, as they left the village and passed through what seemed to be an invisible rock wall to get out onto the field once more, his thoughts eventually drifted back to Zelda. Though his mission to save her seemed clear, he still had his doubts about whether or not he actually could do it. Firstly, he was still anxious about falling into corruption and, as his dream had made clear to him, there was no simple way to stop it now, if there was any way to stop it at all. Who would save Zelda if he really did succumb? Secondly, he had failed against Veress and her gang before and what was really stopping him from failing again, with less fortunate results? If Sheik hadn't come along to save him when she did, Veress would have most likely ended up killing him, leaving no one to help Zelda. But perhaps this was a task that he didn't have to take on alone. Sheik seemed to be just as determined as he was to help the goddess, and she had knowledge of their enemy that he didn't. It was true that she appeared to underestimate him and that she was quite headstrong, like he was, but at a dire time like this, Link had a feeling that he would appreciate her help later on. He was already grateful to her for what she had already done for him and he didn't really have any reservations about trusting her. And perhaps if the leader of the Sheikahs and the hero of the goddess worked together, then defeating the Interlopers and rescuing the goddess wouldn't be such an insurmountable task after all.

* * *

**Ok! So I gotta admit, this chapter was so fun to write! I was totally engrossed in writing the dynamics of emotions in the beginning and then the dialogue between Link and Sheik was just a blast to come up with! And if you liked that, then don't worry, there will be plenty more later on! But for the next chapter, I think we should check up on Zelda, yeah? Alright then, so PLEASE REIVEW THIS TIME PEOPLE! And, if you just forgot to leave a review for the last chapter, then feel free to do back and give that one a review too! To quote a certain favorite flamboyant Zelda villain of mine, it would just FILL my heart with RAINBOWS! XD hahaha anyway, Until Next Time!**


	11. Lost in the Shadows

_Sorry that this took so long guys! I just started school this past week and I have been SUPER busy going into my senior year! Yay! XD Anyway, thanks for all of the uplifting reviews from the last chapter! They made me feel a lot better about myself! hahahaha I'm kinda crazy like that :) So anyway, thanks to zelinkforeverlovers and TwilightWakerofTime for following! Now onto the reviews!_

**Lovely girl 10**_-If you think Fi was epic there, then just wait until the chapter after this one ;D And as for Zelda, this chapter is pretty much focused on her, so enjoy! And reading this one first is the best way to do it, since its the first in the trilogy as a whole, I'm just writing them out of order because... uh... I don't really know... :o_

**ixPinkRoses**_-No no no no no! Book 1 is nowhere close to finished yet! There's still a whole lot more to this one, I can promise you that! :D_

**ShadowNinja1011**_-Thanks!_

**Mekuda**_-I knew that I had to add that little easter egg in here somewhere ;D And Link is pretty cute, isn't he? hahaha and if you like Sheik now, you'll absolutely LOVE her later on! I've barely even gotten started with her yet! And there's plenty more Sheikah history on the way! I can't wait to write it! And yes, these interlopers are the same ones from TP, who will eventually become the Twili. I'm basically retelling their story in my own unique way :D_

**Zelink005**_-Oh don't worry about Sheik. She may seem kinda mean to Link now, but their relationship will develop a great deal later on as they grow into good friends and partners! And thanks for the self esteem boost! I needed that!_

**silverhawk88**_-Fi's themes in Skyward Sword are just infectiously beautiful! I often listen to her various songs as I'm writing to give me inspiration :) Epona is gonna be awesome later on in the story, so keep your eyes peeled for her! And I'm glad you liked the back and forth between Link and Sheik! There's definitely more to come later on! And thanks for your review on chapter 8! _

_And that's if for all of the many supportive reviews we got last time! Keep em coming! Enjoy chapter 10! _

* * *

_Chapter 10: Lost in the Shadows_

Zelda didn't remember being knocked unconscious by her captors, but when she came to, she found herself surrounded by an immense darkness. When she opened her eyes, she was unable to see even an inch in front of her and the air of the space around her was thick and stagnant, making it hard to breathe. The only thing she could make out was the cold, hard stone floor beneath her as she sat up and tried to make sense of where she was. She remembered her encounter with the rebel Sheikah, as well as making a deal with them to exchange her freedom for Link's life. Zelda frowned as she recalled their bittersweet farewell before their cruel separation, one that she hoped and prayed would not last long.

Before Zelda could even try to work her way through the extensive darkness to find a way out of it, a stone door on the other side of the large chamber that she was in slowly started to slide open, flooding the room with a dull fire light. In it, the girl could see that the room she was in was large, built of strong and sturdy stone, but empty aside from her. There were no windows to let any other source of light in, but there were two doors on either side of the room, neither of them locked for some reason. Zelda only had a moment to take in her surroundings however, as three figures came into the room through the opened door.

Veress herself, followed by two of her comrades filed in, one of them carrying a torch that provided the fire that lit up the room. The leader of the rebels wore a wicked, triumphant smirk on her face, though there was a slight look of irritation there as well as she approached Zelda. The girl rose to her feet and watched her new adversary warily, wanting to be prepared just in case her captors intended to inflict harm upon her. About halfway through her saunter across the wide room, Veress stopped and simply stared at Zelda silently for a moment with a look of both twisted delight and close examination.

"So this is the honored and all powerful goddess Hylia reborn as a mortal?" Veress asked sarcastically. "I have to say that I'm not impressed. The legends say that you used to be quite impressive back when you were immortal, but now... You're nothing."

Zelda glared at the former Sheikah, trying to hide her otherwise obvious fear and replacing it with bravery and boldness. "At least I'm not a traitor like you and your followers," she said defiantly, crossing her arms and standing firm.

Veress's calm expression did not change. Rather, she slowly started to step closer to Zelda, her hands placed behind her back as she spoke quietly. "I don't think you get it, Hylia," she said darkly. "You are our prisoner. By your own choice, you gave up your freedom and safety. And for what? The life of your foolish hero? A lot of good that's going to do either of you in the end when we get our hands on the Triforce. But you won't have to worry about that... By then, both of you will be long dead, I'm sure..."

"But you said that you weren't going to hurt him!" Zelda protested angrily.

"And I kept my word..." Veress scoffed in annoyance. "But I think both you and I know that if I don't kill him, whatever has started to overtake his mind will..."

Zelda couldn't hide the fear and dread in her expression as Veress brought this up. "Ah..." the rebel leader mused as she slowly started to circle the girl, who stood still and apprehensive. "I see that I've hit a nerve, haven't I? Watching the two of you from the shadows certainly has aided us well... Thanks to our careful reconnaissance, we know everything about both of you..."

"You couldn't possibly know what's wrong with him!" Zelda proclaimed firmly, skeptically believing that even Link himself didn't know what was really wrong.

"You're right," Veress smirked as she stopped in front of Zelda. "I don't know. So..." the Sheikah woman leaned into the girl's face menacingly with a taunting grin. "Why don't you let me in on his little secret, hm? After all, its obvious that you know..."

"I don't," Zelda said broadly, keeping a straight, brave face.

"Don't try to deny it to save his skin," Veress said. "The two of you are constant companions! You have to know something!"

"I told you, I don't know anything!" Zelda argued. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you! Why do you even care in the first place?"

Veress was silent for a moment, her expression mysterious yet ominous. "The answer to that question is quite simple, Zelda," she said, her dark crimson eyes almost glowing from the soft firelight of the room. "I care because I know that nothing, absolutely nothing, is ever what it seems. Take us for example. Upon a first glance, we all appear to be typical Sheikahs, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. We are by far superior to those who swear fealty to you. We have power that you couldn't even begin to imagine and soon, all who live in this land shall see it first hand. And then there's you... One would think that you're nothing more than a simple human girl, never thinking that you could possibly the goddess reborn as a mortal unless they were told that. And finally, we have your dear hero... On the outside, he looks just fine, but you and I both know that something is terribly wrong with him. When my followers and I defeated him, I sensed a dark presence stirring within him, something undeniably evil... Something that seems to seek your downfall just as much as we do..." Veress smirked when she saw the clear look of fear on Zelda's face as she spoke her cold-hearted words.

"You're wrong!" the girl proclaimed desperately, balling both of her hands up into fists near her sides. "Link would never hurt me!"

"Oh really?" Veress asked wickedly. "Then what's that?" she pointed to the cut that the hero had unintentionally left on Zelda's shoulder, which was still open and lightly bleeding through the tear it had left in her dress. The girl glanced at it and then set her gaze on the stone ground beneath her, letting out a quiet sigh of defeat.

"That wasn't his fault..." she muttered softly, but Veress simply let out a cold laugh.

"But it was done with his sword, wielded by his own hand, was it not?" she asked pointedly. "So you mean to tell me that you're going to defend the 'hero' who could have very well killed you back in the woods? The same hero that you gave up your freedom for? How foolish..."

Zelda's anger towards her captor grew with each condescending, bitter word that Veress said, until finally she could contain her rage no longer. "Stop it!" she shouted in fury. "Its not foolish! I love Link and he loves me! That's how I know he's coming to save me and he's going to stop you!"

"Love?!" Veress scoffed callously. "Don't make me laugh! I knew you were a fool Hylia, but that's absolutely absurd! You really think your hero loves you as much as you claim he does? Don't you think that if he did, he'd fight harder against whatever's wrong with him for your sake instead of letting both of you fall victim to it?"

"He's doing the best he can!" Zelda protested with determination, not letting the Sheikah's harsh criticisms get to her. "And he will win in the end! He's not as weak as you think he is! His spirit is unbreakable, which means that no matter what you or anyone else does to him, he will _not_ shatter. He can carry on through anything. He's done it before and I know he can do it again!"

Veress's smile faded as she gave the girl a piercing gaze. "That so called 'unbreakable' spirit of his will do nothing for him when I'm through with him," she said twistedly, bloodlust showing in her scarlet eyes. "In fact, just so I can crush any useless shred of hope you have left, I'm going to tell you exactly what I plan on doing to him. Once we capture him, we're going to bring him here, to our temple of shadows, a place we've been building specifically for the two of you to serve as a grave for both of you. And then, I will personally see to it that he's tortured so much and for so long, that his spirit will break like a twig within a matter of days. And the best part of it all is that you will watch every agonizing second of it. Your screams of anguish and sorrow will be mingled with his, until you both die a slow, painful death of grief and heartbreak. Do you understand, your _grace_?"

As the rebel leader made her sadistic speech, Zelda could not hide her fear and panic. She was down right terrified of what Veress had just told her, but she was not afraid of what would happen to her. Rather, she was terrified of what would happen to Link if the traitors had their way. They intended to kill him in the cruelest way they possibly could simply for their own perverse pleasure and they'd force her to watch every awful second of it. Her heart and mind could not bear to let such a despicable thought in. Warm tears began to steam down her cheeks as she looked down in fear. Despite her best efforts, Veress had finally succeeded in unnerving and frightening her to her very core. However, in the depths of her fear, Zelda remembered something very important. "You promised that you wouldn't kill him..." the girl whispered hollowly as she locked eyes with her captor. "We made a deal!" her voice began to bolden as her fear turned to anger. "My freedom for his life! You can't just go back on your word like that!"

"And who says I can't?" Veress smirked as she crossed her arms triumphanly.

"But that isn't fair!" Zelda argued bitterly.

"Nothing is ever fair!" Veress said harshly, something other than anger starting creep into her tone. "Its not fair that you disregarded the strength of our tribe and tossed us to the wayside despite all we had done for you in the past, but you did it anyway! So don't tell me what's fair and what isn't when you don't even know what fair means!"

Zelda was silent for a moment as she glared at Veress, her mouth set in a tight line of frustration. "You're wrong," she said quietly after some time. "I never disregarded you in any way."

"But you did," Veress said, scowling hatefully at the girl. "The moment you chose a fool hero to take on Demise instead of letting us do it was your fatal mistake."

"What?!" Zelda exclaimed in shock, realizing what all of this was really about. "You can't honestly think that the Sheikah tribe would have been able to fight Demise and win! He would have killed all of you, like he almost did in the ancient days! That's why Hylia- I mean, that's why I decided to choose a hero in the first place! To keep your tribe from seeing any more bloodshed! Only the power of the Triforce could have defeated Demise, and only someone with an unbreakable spirit can use the Triforce properly. Face it, Veress; if it wasn't for Link, then there wouldn't be a surface left for you to try and conquer now. Demise would have destroyed it and slaughtered every one of you in an instant if Link hadn't defeated him!"

"Lies!" Veress hissed furiously, drawing one of her two knifes and pointing it right at Zelda. "You claim that your hero saved you and every one else on the surface, but that's complete nonsense! He only got rid of the one thing that truly stood in the way of us and the Triforce back then. But now, its the only two of you who are in our way to true power." The Sheikah took in a deep breath as her anger started to subside, though she still kept the tip of her knife poised towards the girl. "But you won't impede our path for much longer... After all that is why we brought you here. I can't have you running around free to get in the way by secreting the Triforce away from us. But I didn't come in here just to gloat over you, Hylia." A small grin crossed the rebel leader's face as she continued. "I want information."

"What kind of information?" Zelda asked suspiciously, keeping her eye on the knife aimed for her chest.

"Oh, nothing really..." Veress said casually. "Just how to break that little seal you cast on the Triforce..."

"I told you," Zelda said firmly. "I'm not telling you."

"Oh, but you will..." Veress said darkly. "We can both be sure of that..." She was silent as she sheathed her knife and stepped towards Zelda once more. The girl moved away carefully until her back was against the wall as the Sheikah's fingers began to glow an ominous shade of red.

"W-what are you going to do?" Zelda asked, watching her foe warily with wide eyes.

Veress grinned wickedly as she stopped only a few mere inches away from Zelda. "You'll see," she said mysteriously and before Zelda could even react, the rebel leader, pressed her fingertips hard against the girl's forehead, using her strange, evil magic to completely halt any movements she could have made. Zelda's vision went black and her body grew numb for an indefinite amount of time. When her vision finally did seem to return to her, she gasped in shock and relief at what she now saw. "Link!" she cried out tearfully as she took in the sight of her hero standing on the other side of the room. When he heard her call for him, Link looked over at her and returned her overjoyed and relieved smile.

"Zelda!" he called out to her as he began to hurry towards her. As excited as the girl was to be reunited with the hero, she found that she still could not move an inch and she also realized that Veress and her guards were nowhere to be seen. She took in a sharp gasp when she pieced everything together and immediately she shouted out to Link in newfound fear.

"Link, wait!" she cried, her eyes wide as she scanned the supposedly empty room once more. "Its a trap!"

The very moment that she called out to him, the hero stopped running as he let out a sharp cry of shock and pain before collapsing to the ground only a few feet in front of her. Zelda screamed when she saw the long knife that was buried into his back deeply, positioned extremely close to his heart as blood started to trickle from the fatal wound. "No!" she shouted, desperately trying to move, but failing. She wanted nothing more than to reach him, to hold him in her arms to simply try and help him ease the no doubt intense pain he was in during his last moments, for she knew that trying to save him would be completely hopeless and futile.

Tears streamed down the girl's face as the suffering hero looked up towards her with agony showing in his light blue eyes, his breathing heavy and labored. "Zelda..." he muttered in pain as the girl locked eyes with him in grief. There was nothing that she could even say at the moment, as she was too heartbroken to barely even think. As the couple stared at each other in misery, a cold laugh began to echo throughout the room. Veress herself materialized from the shadows and stood over Link, triumphantly grinning at Zelda.

Passionate anger began to well up inside of Zelda as she fought hard against whatever was restricting her from moving. She wanted to do anything she could to make Veress pay for what she had just done to Link. She glared viciously at the Sheikah woman, who continued to callously smirk at her while she slipped her knife from the hero's back, causing him to gasp in intense pain. "How dare you!" Zelda shouted at her in blind rage. "You won't get away with this!"

"Oh, I won't?" Veress asked with sarcasm as she gave Link a harsh kick in the side, forcing him to roll over to lie on his injured back. Before either the hero or the girl could even respond, Veress positioned her knife high above him and let it go altogether, her red eye alight with bloodthirsty excitement. The tip of the blood-painted blade landed with precision on the hero's chest, digging itself deep, but somehow not instantly killing him. He let out another sharp cry of anguish as Veress merely snickered cruelly, enjoying his immense suffering and Zelda's extreme heartache over having to watch this awful sight.

"No!" the girl screamed in dispair, her tears flowing without stop. "Please, stop! You can't do this to him!"

"I can't?" Veress raised an eyebrow at her, though she still smirked evilly. "What's stopping me?" She continued to grin as she drew her other knife and placed it's deadly edge against Link's neck, ready to finish the job she had started.

"Stop!" Zelda shouted in sheer desperation. "I... I'll tell you anything you want! Just spare him, please!"

"Anything?" Veress asked with genuine interest, knowing that she was getting the exact response that she wanted. "Then why don't you tell me how to break the seal on the Triforce, hm? If you do, then I will set both of you free from your suffering... I promise."

Zelda was silent for a moment as she looked between her victorious captor and her dying hero and found herself more torn that she had ever been before. Her lack of movement made it impossible to help Link without giving into Veress's wicked desire. The hero was almost dead, but the Sheikah had promised that she would revive him if the girl told her how to obtain the Triforce, though doing that would ensure the destruction of the land. But all Zelda could really think about as she looked into her beloved hero's pained face was that she loved him, perhaps more than anything else, and that she simply couldn't let him die like this. And so, she came up with a plan, one that could hopefully save both of them. "Fine..." she said as she hung her head in shame. "To break the seal on the Triforce, you'll need to play the Ballad of the Goddesss on the Goddess's Harp..."

"And where is it?" Veress asked as she pressed the knife down slightly harder against Link's neck.

"Let him go first, and then I'll tell you," Zelda said as she looked at the rebel leader with pained anger.

Veress frowned, but complied as she sheathed both of her knifes and took a step away from the hero. Zelda took in a deep breath as she looked at Link once more, noticing that he had fallen into unconsciousness. "He has it," she said, nodding to him but keeping her eyes on Veress the whole time.

The wicked woman grinned triumphantly as she let out a loud laugh. Suddenly, Zelda's vision went black again as her movements began to return to her. When her vision cleared once more, she saw Veress standing right in front of her as she had been before Link appeared. The rebel leader took her finger tips away from the girl's forehead and backed away, though she still wore an evil grin on her face.

"W-what... what happened?" Zelda asked in utter confusion when she noticed that the hero was nowhere to be found, and that Veress's two guards were standing in the exact same place that they had been before, as if nothing had changed at all. "What did you do to Link? Where is he?"

Veress laughed once more as she placed her hands on her hips and smirked at the girl. "Oh Zelda..." she said in a condescending tone. "He was never here to begin with! Everything that you just saw was a vision, induced by my magic. And it was rather effective if I do say so myself... After all, I got the information that I was after..."

"You... you tricked me!" Zelda exclaimed in fury when she realized that Veress had fooled her by using one of her greatest fears to deceive her.

"Well of course," Veress said. "And it wasn't that hard, considering your foolish devotion to that hero... I can only imagine how pathetic you'll be when we actually do kill him."

"You'll _never_ get that chance!" Zelda shouted out in determined rage. "You'll never get the Triforce and you will never win! And you will never defeat him!"

"So you think..." Veress laughed as she rolled her eyes. "But thanks to you, I know exactly how to get the key to the Triforce! And with that knowledge, I think I'll go pay your hero a little visit..."

"And what about me?" Zelda asked.

"Oh, that's right!" Veress said, as she turned away from the girl. "Well, at the moment you're of no use to us, Hylia. But don't think that we're going to let you go so easily. You may have noticed that we haven't locked you up or chained you to any walls. That is because there's no need to waste our energies doing that. We're going to let you wander freely about our temple, though I have to warn you, this is no playground. There are traps and creatures set at every corner and each of them has the potential to kill you if you're foolish enough to cross their paths..."

"Aren't you worried that I could escape?" Zelda asked with suspicion, thinking this to be too easy.

"Of course I'm not," Veress said calmly as she started to head for the door. "You can take solace in the fact that you'll never see the light of day again or take in another breath of fresh air, because you'll never make it out of here alive." The rebel leader laughed as she finally left the room with her cronies, letting the door slam shut on the way out and leaving Zelda alone.

"So _you_ think..." Zelda said under her breath with a smirk once Veress was completely gone. She had no intention of letting this place be her grave. There had to be a way out of this place and she was going to find it, despite all of the traps that Veress and her followers had set. She was determined to get out of there and prove Veress wrong. She was going to see the sun's warm light again and breath in the fresh, clean surface air. And most of all, she was going to escape before Link could even come after her, so he wouldn't get captured for her sake and endure the torture that Veress had implied she would inflict upon him. Zelda refused to believe that there was no hope for either of their situations. There was a way out and a way to keep the surface safe and keep them both alive and well.

At the same time, Zelda also had no intention of letting Veress have the Triforce so easily. It was for that purpose that, even though the Sheikah had deceived, Zelda had also tricked the rebel leader herself. She had only told Veress about one of the two keys needed to break the seal on the Triforce. It was true that the Goddess's Harp was one of these two keys, but without the Ocarina of Time, it would do nothing to destroy the new seal that she had placed on the Triforce. The girl bit her lip anxiously though, when she remembered that she had entrusted the care of both instruments to Link, and that by telling Veress that he had one of them, she had placed his life in considerable danger, but she trusted that the hero would keep the promise that he had made to her and keep them both safe. She believed fully that he would be able to handle this new threat and protect the Triforce in her absence. And she also believed with all of her heart that they would reunite soon and that they would both survive to be with each other for another day.

* * *

**So, I don't think anything other than exposition and plot development happened in this chapter, but I can promise you that the next one will be awesome! After all its gonna have Link, and Sheik, and Fi! Yay! I am super excited for it! And there might even be a little action depending on how I intend on splitting the chapter up :D So anyway, I don't really have a ton to say. Leave a REVIEW as always and Until Next Time! :D **


	12. A Promise in the Night

_And so here we are once again my dear readers, at another chapter and another apology for being so late in posting this! School has been busy and whatnot, writer's block happened, or whatever and yeah... This is a really lame apology... Anyway, thanks to Beforethedawnbreaks for following and favoriting! Now for the reviews!_

**Mekuda**_-You think Veress' past it tragic with the little snippet I gave in the last chapter? Well let me just say that it only gets deeper and even more tragic as we uncover it more in later chapters. And yeah, I like portraying Zelda as a lady of action. It always irks me when she's not, because she has so much potential to do more than she actually does!_

**Lovely Girl 10**_-Well to be clear, Link does have the Ocarina, but at the moment, Sheik is carrying the harp with her. That's not really important for this chapter, but it will be in the next one!_

**ShadowNinja1011**_-Aren't those feels just great? ;D_

**Zelink005**_-Veress will only get more and more evil as things go along! And don't worry about Zelda, she has a few tricks up her sleeve... ;)_

**Beforethedawnbreaks**_-Thanks! Keep reading! :D_

_And with that out of the way, let's get started with this chapter, which i had a really hard time coming up with a title for by the way ;D_

* * *

_Chapter 11: A Promise in the Night_

Sheik couldn't help but crack a small smirk as she glanced back at Link, no doubt lost in thought as the two of them rode towards the forest. She had to admit that she was intrigued by his unshakable determination, even if she did also view it as hardheaded stubbornness. But at the same time, she felt sorry for him. It was rare for the often cold and indifferent Sheikah leader to have pity for someone, but she knew that Link had been through much recently. From the loss he had suffered at the hands of Veress and her gang, to loosing the goddess that he had sworn to protect, to having to deal with whatever was slowly but surely wearing down his mind, the hero had not had it easy. And because of that, Sheik felt herself moved with compassion for him in his plight and aside from the fact that it was her responsibility to rescue the goddess, she found that she actually wanted to help the hero do it out of her own free will.

It was as the Sheikah leader was pondering this in silence that she realized how low the sun had sank towards the western hills, casting long shadows over the wide fields as they neared the forest. They were still quite a distance away from it however, even though Sheik had intended for the two of them to make it to the temple by night fall. With a quiet sigh of exasperation, she brought her horse to a stop with Link following suit shortly after.

"What's wrong?" the hero asked, anxious to help Zelda as soon as possible.

"Its getting late," Sheik said as she looked towards the setting sun. "We need to set up camp for the night."

"We can't do that!" Link protested, frowning as he watched the Sheikah girl slip off her gray steed. "We have to hurry to the temple and get the Master Sword! I thought you wanted to help Zelda too!"

"Well of course I do!" Sheik glared at him. "But you can't honestly expect to make it through that forest at night alive now. Its not safe anymore. Veress's followers are hiding everywhere. They're Sheikah, masters of stealth and and skilled at hiding within the shadows. And, knowing Veress, she'll be eager to finish the job that she started this morning and kill you."

"I'm not afraid of them like you are," the hero said defiantly. "If you're not coming, then I'll just go by myself, without your help."

"Who said I was afraid?" Sheik scoffed. "I'm just being careful and I suggest you do the same. Running into danger head-first doesn't make you brave; it makes you stupid." She paused for a moment and sighed quietly when she took notice of his conflicted expression. "Listen..." she said tentatively as he slid off Epona's back. "I understand how you must feel. Upset, frustrated, disappointed... and all with yourself... Well... I might as well confess that I feel the same way. I... guess I owe you an apology for being so harsh earlier... Being friendly has never really been my strong suit..."

Sheik was instantly set to ease when she saw that Link was returning her relaxed smile. "Its fine..." he said in slight resignation. "I guess you're right... I won't be much help to Zelda if I let them get the better of me again."

"Oh, so the great hero of the goddess is able to humble himself enough to admit that he's wrong?" Sheik said with a sarcastic smirk as the two of them began to gather some nearby wood to start a fire. "Then there might just be hope for you yet. But I wasn't kidding when I said the Sheikah are masters of the shadows. They're nothing like the mindless monsters you're used to slaying. They're cold, calculating killers, with no sense of honor or compassion left. They will not hesitate to murder you if you give them that chance. So, whatever you do, do not give them that chance. Got it?"

Link frowned, but nodded nonetheless. "Yeah... but if they're as elusive as you say, then how do you beat them?"

"A trained, skilled Sheikah can only be defeated with Sheikah techniques. That's how our tribe has survived and prospered for so long, even when Demise's followers roamed the world freely. The key to fighting like a Sheikah is to think like one."

The hero listened carefully to her words, knowing to trust her advice. At the same time though, he was apprehensive. From the way Sheik spoke, his new adversaries were unlike anything he had ever faced before, including Demise. He knew that the only way he could possibly stand against the Interlopers and win was to implement the practices that the Sheikah leader had suggested to him. "Sheik?" Link asked with resolve, gathering the girl's full attention. "Will you teach me how to fight like a Sheikah?"

Sheik grinned widely and nodded almost immediately. "I was wondering when you were going to ask me that..." she said, sending him a small wink. "Of course I'll teach you. We'll start tomorrow, once you get that fancy sword of yours. But for now, we should both get some rest. We've traveled pretty far today." She smiled softly at him as he nodded his gratitude.

"Thank you, Sheik," he said with newfound respect for the Sheikah leader. It seemed that he had just found another advantage to having her as an ally.

"Its nothing," Sheik said with a grin. "After all, this could be fun... There is one catch though..."

"What?"

"Well... you have to agree right here and now that you'll do everything I say," she said, crossing her arms and giving him a long wink. "Think you can manage that, hero-boy?"

Link smiled at her with determination and slight levity as he noticed her joking tone and simply nodded. However, it was as Sheik grinned back that she noticed something that she hadn't before about the hero during the brief interval that they had been speaking. As the dying light of the setting sun shined upon both of them, the Sheikah leader caught sight of something different about his face and she was disconcerted by it, as she had no idea what it meant.

"Um... Link?" she said hesitantly, catching the hero's attention as he continued to help set up camp. "There's something you should probably see."

Despite being curious, he didn't question the Sheikah as she lead him to the nearby stream. Likewise, Sheik said nothing else to him as she simply motioned for him to look down into the gently flowing water. Link raised a somewhat confused eyebrow at her but looked down into the stream nonetheless. The clear water's surface was reflective, allowing the hero to see his mirror image in it. Upon a first glance, he found nothing out of the ordinary, but as he looked again, he finally saw what Sheik had seen and he almost immediately knew what it meant. Though they were very faint, he could make out the shapes of small, symmetrical red marks surrounding his eyes, almost looking as if they had been painted on. Cresting the top of his forehead was a blue design, though it was just as faint as the red markings. They weren't all that noticeable at the moment, but he had a feeling that they'd only get clearer and clearer with time. These markings were almost identical to the ones that the Fierce Deity bore on his face, and for Link, they were no doubt an ominous sign that his corruption was deepening. Terminus had not warned him that any physical transformation would start before he was fully corrupted, but it was obvious now that not only was Majora continuing to twist his will to its own evil desires, but that the demon was also exerting a visible influence upon him. And that fact alone brought the hero even more worry and apprehension than he already had about the situation as a whole. If the demon's corruption could do that to him, them how else would it be able to change him in the very near future?

Sheik remained silent as she watched him, though she could see the clear look of surprise and dread on his face. It took her less than a moment to figure out that Link at the very least had an idea of what those markings had appeared and she was determined to get answers. After a giving him a few moments to examine the marks, she spoke up, her tone firm and resolved. "Alright, hero-boy," she said as he broke the gaze he had set on his reflection. "What's going on here?"

"What do you mean?" the hero asked somewhat diffidently.

"You know exactly what I mean. And you can lie to me about it all you want, but know that eventually I will get the answers I'm looking for. I always do..." she gave him a broad smile, one that she knew would wear him down into telling her the truth.

Link sighed in resignation, knowing that Sheik was too smart for any excuse he could try to give her. And even so, he saw no harm in telling her the truth. Even though he knew there was nothing she could do to help him, at the very least it would feel good to finally tell someone about what he had been keeping a secret from Zelda for so long.

Once the two of them had finished setting up their small camp, they sat near the fire as the hero told the Sheikah leader everything. He told her about Termina and how they were guided there through the forest. He explained the tragic story of Terminus and her fallen hero and of the demon Majora and the Fierce Deity. And then he recounted the battle that he fought against the Deity and how his victory was only won thanks to his first spell of corruption. From there, he told her about what Terminus had warned him about the corruption, and finally he went on to explain how it had been adversely effected him mentally, and now physically. Sheik was silent throughout much of the tale and didn't react much beyond asking a few questions. And when Link was finished explaining it all, she just sat there staring into the fire, trying to make sense of everything he had told her.

"So... basically what you're saying is... You're... not going to make it through this alive?" she asked quietly.

"Basically?" the hero asked. "No... I won't..."

"And there's no way to stop this?"

"I starting to think that there isn't..." he sighed, looking up to the sky as the stars started to appear. "Its getting worse every time. I thought that I'd be able to fight through it, for Zelda's sake, but... I don't think I'll be able to in the end..."

Sheik frowned as she glanced over at him. "I wish I could tell you that there's some hope for you..." she said with genuine sadness. "But, honestly, the way I see it, there is none... I'm sorry that this happened to you... No one deserves to suffer the way that you are. But if I could offer you some advice, I think the best thing for now would be for you to keep trying to fight it... At least until her grace is safe and the threat that Veress poses is no more. But when its all over... well, I don't know what to tell you."

Link said nothing for a long time as he continued to stare up into the evening sky, his expression contemplative and pensive. Noticing his melancholy, Sheik let out a quiet sigh and stared into the glowing fire in front of her, the dancing flames reflecting in her red eye. After what seemed like hours of stillness however, the hero finally broke it as he turned to the Sheikah leader and spoke up. "Sheik?" he asked quietly and for the first time she picked up on the hint of fear in his voice. "Can I ask you to do something for me?"

"Yes," she said with a solemn nod. "Anything."

"If... or, maybe I should say _when_ I'm corrupted, will you keep Zelda safe for me? Please, don't let anything happen to her. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something did..."

"Does she know about any of this?"

Link shook his head as Sheik glanced over at him and as she did, she noticed the mournful expression on his face as he stared into the fire. She also spotted something that made her mind swim in thought. A small, lone drop of water was streaming down his cheek. A tear. She watched carefully as it rolled down his face and then vanished into nothingness. Though she did not consider it a sign of weakness, this was the first time that she had ever seen him so vulnerable, so hopeless. She didn't know how to comfort him, as she had never been much for consolations, but she knew that it was not needed. That lone tear had not been shed for his own sake, but rather for the sake of the goddess that he had went to such great lengths to protect. Despite what he knew was going to happen to him, his greatest concern was her welfare rather than his own. And as Sheik realized this, her feelings towards the hero started to change. She genuinely admired his noble selflessness and inner strength. Not many people would have been able to fight the kind of pressure he was under and it showed that his heart and soul were very strong. But at the same time, she also knew that, like her, he harbored great inner pain and turmoil over things that could never be changed. She pitied him greatly, but at the same time, she also respected him and his noble intention. And that was why she gave him a ghost of a smile as she gave him a quiet answer to his request. "For you, I'll do it... I promise."

* * *

The next morning was sunny and warm; a stark contrast to the cloudy chill of the previous day. Link and Sheik rose early so they could finish their trek to the Sealed Temple and, thanks to the much-needed rest that both of them had gotten, they made it there while the day was still fresh. For both of them, their thoughts still rested on their discussion last night and so neither of them had really spoken much during their travels. But the casual manner they had carried towards each other yesterday resumed when they arrived at the temple.

"Alright, so we're here, hero-boy," Sheik crossed her arms as they entered the sunlit temple. "Let's hurry and get that fancy sword of yours and be on our way."

"Don't worry. This will only take a minute," Link said, giving her a confident smile as the two of them walked across the length of the temple towards the back room of the complex. The stone doors of the room were wide open as usual, revealing the Master Sword, resting stately in its ancient pedestal as it shined in the morning light. The Sheikah leader remained standing just outside the doors as the hero approached the sacred blade, and as he did so, the sword started to glow in a faint blue light. Both of them stopped and stared at it in wonder as the light intensified until it was blindingly bright. And when the light had cleared and they regained their vision, they saw that an angelic being rested above the sword's hilt, someone who the hero had once traversed the surface with and whom he trusted with his life.

"Fi..." Link smiled when he saw the sword spirit who had acted as his guide and companion throughout his first journey. Fi nodded respectfully to him as she floated above the Master Sword in her usual manner. Sheik, on the other hand, stared at her with wide eyes, amazed by the sight of her ethereal and mystical form.

"Greetings Link, my former master..." Fi spoke in her monotonous, emotionless tone. "It was wise of you to come here. We have much to discuss. First, we should address the matter of Zelda's recent capture, do you agree?"

"Yes," Link nodded solemnly. "Do you know where she is, Fi?"

The sword spirit locked eyes with the hero as she spoke, making sure that he absorbed every word. "Yes," she said calmly. "I am able to track her grace's aura using dowsing, as I used to do during our initial journey. I am unable to ascertain a direct location, but I calculate that she is located in some sort of underground strong hold. The entrance to this hidden place is located in the mountain range near Eldin Volcano."

"What?" Sheik spoke up, giving Fi a questioning look. "But that range is right behind Kakariko Village! We were just there! We came all this way for nothing!"

"No," the hero said, glancing back towards the Sheikah leader. "We came here to get the sword, remember?"

"Excuse me, Master," Fi cut in respectfully. "But there is still more that we must discuss. Though the matter of finding Zelda is of the upmost importance, we both know that there is another issue that is just as grave. And, it is one that I must speak to you about in private." As she finished her statement, she gave a cold glance to Sheik, wordlessly instructing her to leave the immediate area. Sheik scowled, but took her leave nonetheless, silently heading for the entryway of the temple. "Master Link," Fi continued once the Sheikah leader was gone. "Know that I am well aware of the pressing corruption that haunts your spirit. At the moment, my sensors are able to indicate that your corruption levels are only at 15%, but as you know, the ancient demon Majora will continue to press its evil influence upon you until you are completely under its control. It is unfortunate, but I must tell you that there is little I am able to do to help you put an end to it completely, but at the very least, I am capable of slowing the process down. Because the Master Sword is a sacred blade of purity and light, it has the ability to drive away evil spirits in most cases. However, the demon's presence within you is already too strong to be chased off now. The only thing that can be done is for you to take up this sword once again. Its presence will protect you from Majora's influence for a time, but not forever. Gradually, the sword's shielding will wear down and you will become fully susceptible to corruption once more. But for the moment, I highly recommend taking this course of action for the purpose of locating Zelda."

Link sighed and nodded, both relieved and anxious about what she had just told him. He was glad that Fi would be able to forestall the corruption, but no matter how long she could possibly try to, the hero would never truly be free from it. The protection that the Master Sword would give him could only serve as a temporary sense of security at the most, but at a crucial time such as this, when Zelda's life hung on the line of his success or failure, Link intended on taking all of the help he could get. However, as he began to approach the blade to draw it from its pedestal, Fi was quick to glide in between him and the sword, blocking his path to it.

The hero frowned and raised a curious eyebrow at the sword spirit. "Fi, what's wrong?" he asked, wondering why she was stalling longer than necessary, especially considering that time was of the essence in locating Zelda.

"Master, forgive me, but before we go, I must tell you something else," she said, inclining her head respectfully. "In order to protect you from the further onset of corruption, I must unlock a forgotten piece of the Master Sword's power, thereby altering myself in a variety of ways. You should be aware that these changes will enable me to provide you with further aid in this new mission. To initialize the alteration process, you must raise this blade to the heavens and unleash a Skyward Strike. You may do so now, Master..."

As Fi finished speaking, she returned to her vessel in a flourish of light, waiting for her former master to take up the sacred sword once again. Link approached the blade and drew it in one swift move, not hesitating to raise its tip towards the sky. The sword took on a shining blue glow as it was filled with sacred power. The quickly intensifying light caught Sheik's attention as she stood within the temple's main hall and she slowly approached the hero as the light enveloping the sword became blinding. It did not diminish for several minutes, but when it finally did, the sword flashed brightly as the light faded altogether. Yet even after it vanished, the Master Sword still retained a faint blue glow that did not go away. Both Link and Sheik stared at the sacred blade as the hero lowered it, looking over its pure, empowered metal. However, he only had a moment to examine it before the sword flashed again, shining brilliantly as it enveloped the hero in its heavenly light this time. An instant healing warmth shot through him as the ache that had been lingering in his chest since his last spell of corruption vanished altogether. As the light surrounding him dimmed once more, he felt completely rejuvenated, ready to take on any threat the Interlopers could present and ready to save Zelda once more.

With a slight smile, Link sheathed the blade, but no more than a moment after he did so, its hilt lit up as Fi emerged once more, only now, her appearance was quite different than before. She looked largely the same as she used to, though there were several noticeable differences. The most visible contrast was the fact that she now had arms that were in clear view. They were lithe and delicate, baring the same banded pattern that her legs and the hilt of the Master Sword did. Around both wrists were golden bracelets and her blue and violet cloak, which normally covered her arms, now cascaded down her shoulders and flowed down behind her back. She wore a long light purple headdress made of shining ribbon, the length of which swirled behind her in twists and twirls, defying gravity as it loftily dangled in mid air. Unlike before, Fi also let her feet touch the ground as she stood before her master. She was neither tall, nor short, but rather about the same height as Sheik, and her figure seemed even more fine and curvaceous than she had before, as if she was meant to be a dancer rather than a sword spirit. Her expression was also different; her pupil-less eyes were still cold and calculating, but they seemed fiercer somehow, more piercing. She bowed low to the ground in front of Link respectfully, closing her normally unblinking eyes for perhaps the first time.

"Alterations and re-recognition complete," she said in a voice that still seemed cold and robotic, but at the same time it sounded infinitely more human. "Master Link, I am ready to travel with you once more." As Fi rose her head, she did something that the hero had never seen her do before. She smiled, clearly and fully. It was clear that not only had her recent alterations been physical, but they must have also been emotional as well. During their initial travels together, Link had hardly ever seen Fi show any form of expression or feelings. But now as he stared at his regained companion in awe and amazement, he realized that she was now completely capable of expressing those things.

Fi noticed his surprise as she gave him a sly grin. "I see that you are bewildered by my transformation," she noted with a hint of casualness in her tone. "That is normal. It is of human nature for one to be amazed by changes to things that they once knew. Allow me to clarify. It is true that I have undergone a physical change, but that is far from the only alteration that has occurred. In addition to my previous functions and the ability to slow the threat of corruption that plagues you, I am now able to be free from the Master Sword for extended periods of time, as well as use several of my new abilities to aid you in combat. Also, I have found a previously unknown change; I am now able to understand and express human emotions. I am still trying to determine a reason for this seemingly useless alteration, but when I uncover one, I will report it to you immediately, Master."

Unable to hold her impatience back any longer, Sheik finally spoke up. "Well that's all fine and good and all, but when are we finally going to go look for her grace?!" she said, glaring at the sword spirit suspiciously. "While we're standing around here talking and making 'alterations', who knows what Veress and her followers could be doing to her?!"

"Sheik's right," Link said firmly, turning to Fi. "We need to start looking for her as soon as possible."

"Yes, I am aware of that," she said somewhat sharply, directing a slight glare at the Sheikah leader for undermining her explanation. "And, I do believe that we are ready to depart and begin our search."

"Its about time..." Sheik muttered under her breath as she rolled her eyes. Despite her newfound genuine respect for Link, she didn't have as much faith in the largely cynical sword spirit as he did. The only value she saw in bringing Fi along as a companion on this journey was in the fact that she was the only one who could really tell them where to find Zelda, but other than that, the Sheikah leader only really viewed her as deadweight.

"See?" Link said, smiling to both Sheik and Fi as he tried to break the obvious distain between the two of them. "We're leaving right now, Sheik. And if they've done anything to Zelda, then they won't get away with it. I'll make sure of that."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so confident, _hero_..." all three of them were quick to look up to see Veress herself peering through the large hole in the roof of the temple along with several of her followers, looking down at the three of them with a wicked smirk on her face. "After all, the only reason she's in our grasp now is because of _you_..."

* * *

**Yay! Another chapter done! So... this one was kinda boring in my opinion, but if you liked it then good! I can promise you that the next chapter is gonna be chock full of both emotion and action though! Ya know, cause I left it on a cliffhanger and everything. Oh and in case you're wondering what I imagine Fi's redesign to look like, I plan on posting a drawing of her on my deviantART account really soon! And if you want to see deisgns for Sheik, Veress and Terminus, go there now by going to and searching MiniJen or something like that... idk lol. That's all for this time, please don't forget to leave a REVIEW! Until next time :D**


	13. The Dark Interlopers

_Ok guys... So I know its been a while, but allow me to explain! School has had me running around in circles lately! More than half of this chapter was written on a cramped bus on the way to a student leadership conference that i went to this past weekend in Ohio. Let me just say that while it was fun, it was certainly a time sucker! Anyway... Thanks to DarkPhoenixFire, Zeldafreak64, AngelWildWings181, JediMadchen86, and hammerbrofro64 for following or favoriting! Now for the reviews before we begin!_

_Nikrael-Thanks! This upcoming chapter is quite a change from the last one though, since so much is going to be happening in it! And I encourage you to try fanfic writing! Its a ton of fun! I hope you continue to enjoy!_

_Anon-Hahaha yes, Fi is back, but more epic than ever! ;D and as for your review for chapter 7, I just seem to have this bad habit of interrupting important moments with drama, dont I? hahaha :D and I do certainly ship, VERY HARD!_

_Lovely girl 10-oh things most certainly are going to get interesting... You'll see what I mean ;D_

_ShadowNinja1011-uh... ok! :D_

_Mekuda-Yeah, I'm really liking the dynamic between Sheik and Link too... the training scenes later on are going to be pretty fun and yes, Fi does have arms as she's gonna use them too! XD_

_DarkPhoenixFire-Thanks, SS is a game that's actually not too hard to connect to other games, since it is the one that started it all canonically :D And while I think your theory about Terminus is totally awesome and it would be a CRAZY twist, I have to say that she's actually legit. Sorry, but she is really an ally through and through! And I hate to say it, but the design i have for Sheik in my mind for this story would make her too feminine to ever be confused for a guy, so... :D Anyway keep enjoying!_

_And that's all for this time. Though i gotta say, I am simply stunned by how popular this story is getting. Only 12 chapters and I already have like 60 some reviews? This may just be the first one of my stories to reach 100 reviews! Thanks a ton to all of you who have been reading! Let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 12: The Dark Interlopers_

"Veress..." Sheik growled under her breath in raw fury as the rebel leader leaded down through the opening of the temple's ceiling, followed by her small group of about ten followers. The still-loyal Sheikah leader was quick to draw out her small knife as Link brandished the Master Sword. Fi also took up an offensive pose, despite the fact that she clearly lacked a weapon of her own. Veress simply smirked wickedly as she placed her hands on her hips, glancing between all three of them.

"Well, well, well," she said slyly. "Look at the motley crew we have here... An inferior Sheikah, an unfeeling sword spirit, and a metally fading hero... This should be interesting..."

"What do you want?" Link asked, glaring at the woman who had taken Zelda away from him. "And what have you done with Zelda?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about her, hero," Veress grinned at him. "She's safe and sound in our stronghold... We're even keeping her alive... for now. But be warned, hero: cross me, and I will personally kill her. I can promise you that."

By this point, Link was so enraged with the rebel leader that he was unable to contain it any longer. He rushed forward without thinking, aiming the Master Sword right for her, prepared to end this before it even began.

"Link, no!" Sheik called out in warning, knowing that his efforts would be both futile and dangerous. But the hero didn't care; the only thing he could think of was how Veress had torn him and Zelda apart in such a cruel way and how she had went even further by threatening the girl's life. It was clear that Veress and her followers were nothing less than pure evil, a dangerous threat to the surface and all who lived upon it that needed to be stopped as soon as possible. And though the details of their plans still obscured in mystery, it was obvious that the Triforce and complete control of the surface were their ultimate goals. But as Link raced towards the Interloper's leader, fully prepared to put an end to their dark ambitions, Veress had other plans in mind. With a sly smirk, she drew both of her gold-colored knifes out in a flash and met the hero's blade squarely. Though it was obvious to tell by both height and stature that Link was physically stronger than Veress, the rebel leader had the underhanded advantage of dark magic on her side. As the two of them pushed their respective blades together, she used a little of this magic to send a paralyzing shock through her blades and into the hero's, stunning him long enough for her to drop low to the ground and give him a rounded kick, knocking him off his feet and pinning him to the ground with her feet.

"Demise must have been pretty pathetic if he was so easily defeated by someone as weak as you," she laughed callously as she held one of her knifes high above him. Before she could drop it however, she was suddenly knocked aside by Sheik, who had pounced at the former Sheikah with her own knife drawn. The two of them crashed to the ground and grappled for a moment or two before Veress kicked Sheik off of her and rejoined her companions. The leader of the loyal Sheikahs also rose to her feet and stood alongside Link and Fi once more, as the two groups glared at each other in animosity and disgust.

"Attack!" Veress commanded her followers. "Do whatever you have to. We're not leaving without that harp!"

The moment the rebel leader said this, Sheik and Link exchanged a glance, finally realizing what her motives in coming to the Sealed Temple were. She wanted the Goddess's Harp, no doubt because she had somehow discovered that it could break the seal Zelda had placed on the Triforce, though it was apparent she still knew nothing about the Ocarina of Time. And while the girl had entrusted Link with the care of both sacred instruments, that morning before they had arrived at the temple, he and Sheik had come to an agreement that for their safekeeping, the Sheikah leader would hold onto the harp, while the hero would protect the ocarina, so that the Interlopers would not get both at once, if any at all. But there was no time to reaffirm their plan, as Veress's followers were already rushing upon both of them, and it was clear that they were greatly outnumbered.

However, before the Interlopers even cleared the distance between themselves and their adversaries, Fi, who had been standing behind Link and Sheik during the entire previous exchange, quickly preformed a high, magnificent flip over the two of them, landing between them and the Interlopers. Veress's followers came to a grinding halt as they examined the sword spirit with curiosity, but Fi simply grinned at them cleverly for a moment, before holding out both of her hands and snapping her fingers. A set of long, thin, matching rapiers formed out of thin air, and she held one in each hand. The Interlopers looked on in awe, and even Veress looked surprised as the sword spirit took up a fighting stance, poising both of her blades to attack. But even so, the band of rebels was only phased for a moment before they ganged up on Fi, wanting to take out whom they perceived as the smallest threat to them. Fi met all of their blades squarely and precisely, hardly even flinching as she gracefully defended against each attack and landed several of her own.

"I shall handle these underlings!" she called out, glancing back to Link and Sheik in the midst of the melee. "Both of you, dispatch of their leader and protect the Goddess's Harp!"

The hero and the Sheikah nodded as they hurried around the main battle towards the back end of the temple, where the rebel leader stood with a victorious smirk on her face, her dark red eye almost shining with bloodlust as she watched them draw their weapons. "So..." she said quietly, pointing one of her two knives at either of them. "Which one of you should I kill first?"

* * *

Zelda was exhausted and miserable. She had been wandering around the maze-like labyrinths of the Interloper's temple for several hours now, and she was certain that she had not gotten anywhere close to an exit at all. The corridors of the temple were small and dark, making her feel tight and claustrophobic as she inched her way through them. Most of the rooms she encountered were either empty, locked or unentered, as the noises that emanated from outside their doors made it sound like creatures of darkness were enclosed within them. She had taken countless twists and turns, and yet the only thing she could absolutely confirm was that she was hopelessly lost. The only positive things about all of this was that she had not encountered any of the traps that Veress had spoke of and the place was devoid of any of her malicious followers.

But even so, the girl was filled with dread about the entire situation. She knew that she needed to get out of this forsaken dungeon soon, not only for her own safety, but also because she needed to get back to Link. Not only did she want to help him with whatever was wrong with him, but there was also the fact that Veress had made it very clear that he was one of targets of her hatred as well. There was no question his life was in danger just as much as Zelda's was, and while she wanted to believe that he'd be able to take care of himself, she knew that his current condition was by far less than perfect. The hero was most likely out there searching for her, alone and completely vulnerable to both a physical and mental attack. He needed her help and support now more than ever, and yet, she could not be there for him until she broke out of this prison. And even beyond that, she missed him terribly. She craved the comforting sensation of being in his strong arms and she desired the feeling of having his lips pressed against hers. She closed her eyes and pictured him holding her tightly and securely as she took a brief break in the middle of the hallway she was in, taking a seat against the stone wall as she took in a deep breath.

"Please be careful, Link..." Zelda whispered as she let out a small, sad sigh. Too tired to pick herself up off the ground to keep going, the girl remained sitting in the dense silence of the area, watching as the nearby torch fire flickered softly. Complete stillness bothered her though; it always had. She had grown up in the sky, where the sounds of high whistling winds and Loftwing calls were always the norm. Even after her and Link had settled on the surface, she had grown accustomed to the natural noises of the forest that rang out every hour of the day and night. They were a comfort to her, a sign that all was right with the world. And even more than that, when she had gained the goddess's memories, one of the abilities that she had also gained was a more sensitive sense of hearing. It was a sacred power allowed her to pick up on things that most other humans would easily overlook, but in the near complete and utter silence of the Interloper's stronghold, it was completely useless to her. As Zelda sat there, she grew so bored of it that she breathed audibly and loudly so she wouldn't have to put up with it.

Closing her eyes once more, she tried to put the idle thought of silence out of her mind and instead let it wander to thoughts of her hero and thoughts of freedom. Eventually, her breathing slowed until she had drifted off into a slight snooze, but it only lasted for a few minutes before her ears finally picked up on something. It was a small noise, unidentifiable and almost completely unnoticeable, but as she opened her eyes and listened for it again, she unmistakably heard it. Being as quiet as possible, Zelda slowly rose to her feet and looked down the hallway in the direction that the noise was coming from and with almost silent steps, she began to head towards it. The closer she seemed to get to it, the more it started to sound like a low hum, but the sound wasn't the only thing that seemed strange to her. She began to pick up on a certain presence in the air, the same kind of presence she had been able to sense the previous morning before the Interlopers attacked. The presence of a great darkness lurking nearby.

Despite the fact that she was almost certain she was heading in the direction of something undoubtably evil, Zelda pressed on, knowing that maybe it could lead her to a clue about exactly what the Interlopers were planning or, better yet, a way out. But whatever it could be, she was determined to find out what it was. She followed both its sound and feeling, making several turns as she headed down the corridors. By the time she had felt the presence at its strongest, she had been walking for quite some time and much to her dismay, she had ended up in what seemed to be a dead end. She let out a long sigh of disappointment, despite the fact that the sound was ringing out louder than ever from one of the nearby stone walls. In curiosity, Zelda reached out to touch the thick wall only to find that her hand went right through it. Surprised, she examined it closer and discovered that the entire wall was only an illusion. She was able to walk right through it and into the next room, where the presence of dark power seemed to surge to unimaginable levels.

Turning around from the wall, Zelda found that she was in a very large room that seemed to be a gathering hall or throne room. Like the rest of the temple, it was dimly lit and lofty, but banners bearing the Interloper's inverted eye symbol lined the stone walls. There were two other, more visible doors on either side of the room and towards the front was a platform upon which sat a simple throne and beside it there was a pedestal. Something rested above it, but Zelda couldn't make it out from her current position, though she had a feeling it was the source of the pervading evil energy. Even though she was the only person in the room, she cautiously made her way over to the other side slowly, trying to silence her echoing footsteps.

Her heartbeat began to quicken as she finally came to stand before the pedestal and see what was positioned on it. Floating above a few inches above it in midair hung a strange item made of dark-colored stone. It seemed to be some kind of mask or helmet, large enough to cover a human head and then some. It was perfectly carved, with many intricate designs patterning it all over. A dark aura emanated from it, putting Zelda off as she approached it. The evil power that came from it was so strong that it gave her a pounding headache, physically weakening her somehow despite its lack of movement. But nonetheless, she came to stand a few feet away from it to get a better look, despite its overpowering strength.

"A dark presence..." the girl whispered tensely as she stared at the mysterious relic. As she did so, she came to the realization that this thing must have been what was supplying Veress and her followers with their dark magic. They must have created it, infusing all of the forbidden power they had claimed, and then allowed it to grant them that same power whenever they needed it. Zelda glared at the object, wanting nothing more than to destroy it right then and there to put an end to their seemingly unlimited power. Without it, they certainly wouldn't have defeated Link and captured her. If they lost it, then all of their evil plans would fall through completely and they would be easy to stop. And Zelda knew, that if there was to be any hope for herself, her hero, or the surface, then Interlopers' dark source of power needed to be destroyed at all costs.

* * *

The Master Sword was the first blade to clash with Veress's as the true battle between her, Link and Sheik commenced. However, the two metals only touched for a second before the hero jumped back, anticipating that the rebel leader would use more of her dark magic on him. Veress simply grinned as Sheik began to charge for her with her long, broad staff, leaping out of the way of her advance. From there, she raised her fist into the air for a brief moment as red flames surrounded it, and in one swift movement, she turned and swung her fist at the loyal Sheikah, hitting her squarely in the back with her burning knuckles and sending her plummeting into the closest wall roughly. Seeing that Sheik was the current target of Veress's violence, Link sprang into action, rushing for the Interloper's leader with his sword brandished once more. However, before he could land a blow, she used more of her cunning magic to create another ball of flame, which she was quick to hurl at the hero with incredible force. There would be no way of dodging it, so he simply closed his eyes and braced himself for the painful impact, but it never came.

Opening his eyes once more, Link saw that Fi had rushed from the other battle that she had been embroiled in and had used her twin swords to protect him from the attack. She glanced back at her master for a brief moment with a small smile, which he returned along with a grateful nod. As Fi started to rush towards the enraged Veress, the hero took a quick look behind him to find that the sword spirit had quickly dispatched her entire group of followers, injuring or immobilizing them all in one way or another. Clearly, Fi was proving her worth and usefulness in more ways than one. Since she was not human, there was no worry about her receiving any form of injury or fatigue. She was a capable fighter, and even more than that, Link knew that she was also very wise from their initial travels, a wellspring of knowledge in a sense. He was glad to have her allegiance and loyalty on his side; with her help, perhaps their odds against the Interlopers would not be so small after all.

As Fi dealt with Veress, the hero hurried over to where Sheik was as she tried to pull herself off the ground despite the pain in her back. "Are you alright?" he asked as he got to her and started to help her up.

The Sheikah leader nodded, and gave him an audible answer as well, despite the fact she was out of breath. "Yeah," she said, casting a brief glance at Fi and Veress as they continued to duel. "I'm fine."

"Do you still have the harp?" Link asked quietly, hoping that Veress wouldn't overhear them.

"Yes," Sheik said as she fully rose to her feet. "And I won't let her get it. I promise."

The two of them exchanged another nod, but unbeknownst to either of them, Veress had happened to overhear their entire conversation in the midst of her battle with the sword spirit and she had formed a plan almost instantly. Summoning up a great deal of dark magic, the rebel leader swung her blades towards Fi, sending with them a great amount of force, enough to repel her several feet backwards and casting a barrier around her to keep her restrained. With the spirit at bay, Veress rushed for Link and Sheik while they were still distracted and used her knives to send several bursts of flame flying towards both of them. Luckily, the pair had the wits about them to dodge most of her attacks, but they had only served as a diversion. The real danger was Veress herself, who had leaped high into the air and pounced right for the hero when the flames had disappeared. Link didn't see her until it was too late to react and using the magic that was infused into both of her knives, the rebel leader swung her blades down onto the Master Sword with so much force that it knocked the blade of evil's bane clean out of the hero's grasp. The sacred sword landed several feet to his right and as Fi watched it embed itself into the stone floor, she let out a warning call immediately, despite the fact that she was still restricted by the barrier Veress had cast.

"Master Link!" she shouted, worry and foreboding entering her melodic tone. "Please hurry and reclaim the Master Sword as soon as possible. Without it in your possession, you are fully susceptible to corruption once more!"

Upon hearing this, Link started for the sword without a moment's hesitation but before he could reclaim it, a familiar sting ripped through his entire body, this time much more brutal than it had ever been before. The crippling pain cause him to cry out and collapse to the ground only a few feet away from the Master Sword, much to the worry of both Sheik and Fi, who could do little but watch as he suffered.

_"Foolish hero..." _Majora's cruel voice rang out inside of the hero's mind once more. "_You thought a simple sword could free you from my grip? You know that no matter what you do or where you go, in the end there is no escaping your fate? You shall be my slave for all eternity, and there is nothing you or anyone else can do to stop it!_" The demon laughed in triumph as it closed off Link's control over his movements, but fortunately it left his thoughts alone this time. But even so, Majora pressed its dark influence upon him harder than ever and at the worst possible time, as another wave of unbearable pain coursed through the hero, nearly rendering him unconscious do to the strain it put upon him both physically and mentally.

"Link!" Sheik cried out in worry as she started to run to help him, only to be stopped by the end of Veress's knife. The loyal Sheikah came to a hesitant halt as the rebel leader pointed the tip of her blade right at her chest. Sheik glared relentlessly at Veress, who simply gave her a dark, malicious grin. "Get out of my way," the Sheikah leader hissed firmly at her former comrade.

"I don't see why I should," Veress said coyly, though there seemed to be a hint of hurt in her tone as well. "After all, you've stood in my way for years."

"Veress," Sheik said, keeping a straight face so she wouldn't reveal how truely worried she was for the hero's welfare. "Your petty jealousy isn't important right now. Move out of the way or I will fight you."

The rebel leader simply laughed callously upon hearing this proclaimation. "Oh, I'd like to see you try, Sheik," she said, touching her twin knives together. "After all, you've never been able to fight me and win before. What makes you think you will win now?"

Sheik's calm, firm expression did not change as she drew her own knife. "I never go into a battle thinking I will win," she said as she took up a fighting stance. "I go into a battle _knowing_ I _can_ win."

Veress did not reply to this perfect answer but instead hurried towards her former leader in a furious rush. Sparks seemed to fly as the two of them clashed their respective blades together and exchanged a series of attacks and blocks. They moved quickly as their fought, as all Sheikahs were naturally trained to do, and never once did either of them leave a single spot open. Despite Veress's boasts of power and magic, she didn't seem to be using them in this battle. But all the same, both of them were matched in strength and skill, making the duel a stalemate as it dragged on for several minutes. Throughout it, Sheik would cast the occasional glance at Link, who was still fighting hard to resist the demon's corruption, but from the pained expression on his face, it was clear that he was loosing his own battle. It was clear to the Sheikah leader that success in her own fight was vital, otherwise, both the Triforce and the hero would be lost.

However, just as Sheik was about to head in for another attack against Veress, the rebel leader had decided to finally switch to more underhanded tactics. In a burst of light, the Interloper leader vanished into thin air, creating a cloud of smoke that surrounded the Sheikah leader as she disappeared. The smoke blinded Sheik, and though she fought hard to see through the illusion, she wasn't able to spot the blast of magic that Veress shot right at her until it had knocked her roughly to the ground, stunning her completely as she went down. Before the loyal Sheikah could even try to pick herself up, the rebel Sheikah had planted a firm foot on her back, pinning her down to the ground hard. Though Sheik tried to struggle against her adversary's hold, it was to no avail. She was completely and totally at Veress's mercy and she knew well that the Interloper leader had none.

"Well Sheik, I have to say that this is fortunate," Veress grinned mockingly. "After all, you do have something that I want."

"I'll never let you take the harp," Sheik growled angrily, but the rebel leader simply chuckled as she ripped the Goddess's harp from the ties that bound it to the Sheikah leader's back.

"What was that?" Veress asked, holding the harp over Sheik triumphantly. "I couldn't hear you over the sound of me winning."

The Sheikah leader glared up at her enemy hatefully, but ultimately, she knew there was little she could do thanks to her paralysis. "You cheat, Veress!" she accused harshly. "You always have and you always will! That is why our people denied you as their leader! They could see the dishonesty in your eyes!"

Veress returned Sheik's cold look for only a moment, before turning it into an even grin. "The only reason why our people denied me was because they were blinded to the truth," she said calmly. "The truth that the one who we're sworn to protect had abandoned us and denied us the glory that was rightfully ours! Open your eyes, Sheik and see the truth!"

As the rebel leader was making her speech, she failed to notice that the stunning magic she had used on Sheik was fading. The moment Veress had finished speaking, the Sheikah leader rolled out from under her foot and in one swift movement, she pushed her adversary into the closest wall and pinned her there firmly, glaring at her in fierce anger the entire time.

"The only one who is blinded to the truth is you, Veress," she said in quiet rage. "You are blinded by greed, jealously and hatred. And what's more is that you didn't used to be like this... What happened?"

"What happened?" Veress asked, not even struggling against Sheik's hold. "I'll tell you what happened. I woke up and realized that our people were capable of so much more than a simple existence of serving a goddess who doesn't even care about us! Don't you see, Sheik? Everything that Impa told us, everything that she taught us when we were young, was wrong. She claimed that the hero who was destined to vanquish Demise would be courageous and unstoppable, but look at him now!" She nodded towards Link's direction, as the hero still lay on the ground, trying his hardest to fight against Majora's influence. "Crippled by an unseen force that he is powerless to stop! You expect someone like that is to be the one to aid the goddess and 'protect' the Triforce again? How foolish it is to put your faith in such an unreliable place... Then again Sheik, you were always foolish. You have no vision as the leader of our tribe. If it was up to you then nothing about the Sheikah tribe would ever change or evolve. My dreams for our people are so much more than a simple existence of servitude. We have power! We have strength! We have the capability to strike both the pitiful goddess and her weak hero down and take this land as our own completely!"

"Enough!" Sheik shouted out in anger, pointing her knife right at Veress's neck. "I'm not like you, Veress. I don't want any honor or glory for myself beyond what I already have. All I want is to keep the goddess and our people safe in the safe way that the matriarchs of our tribe have for generations. That was the sole purpose Mistress Impa entrusted to me when she declared me leader of our tribe."

"So then how does it feel, Sheik?" Veress asked with a tempting grin on her face. "To know that you'll never be as good of a leader as Impa was?"

Infuriated by the rebel leader's burning insult, Sheik let her temper get the better of her. She pressed the side of her knife against Veress's neck, fully ready to end her life right then and there. The rebel leader simply kept her clam smile, though there was a malicious confidence in her dark scarlet eye. "Go ahead, Sheik," she said quietly. "Do it. Forget all of the years we spent growing up together and just get rid of the one thing that standing in the way of your so called 'peace and safety'. That'll prove that you're no better than me."

The moment Veress said this, Sheik suddenly averted her gaze completely. She knew that the rebel leader was trying to trick her, but at the same time she couldn't help but feel as though Veress was right in a way. If the Sheikah leader was to kill her, especially considering the relationship the two had once shared when they were younger, it would make her no less vengeful and full of hatred that Veress herself. And so, slowly she lowered her knife and took a step back, glaring at the ground in anger all the while. "I told you, Veress," she said with quiet resolve. "I'm not like you..."

"No, Sheik," Veress grinned as she simply walked past the Sheikah leader with the Goddess's harp sill in her grasp. "You're not like me. If our roles had been reversed, I would have killed you without any hesitation. And you know exactly why; because you took everything that I could have been right out of my hands." The rebel leader was silent for a moment as she approached the unmoving hero, who had fallen into semi-consciousness from the pain that the onset of corruption was bringing him. "And that's why I'm not only taking the harp, but I think I'll also take the hero that you put so much faith in as well..."

"What?!" Sheik exclaimed in both fury and surprise as she turned to see that Veress had grasped Link firmly by the back of his collar and since the hero was too weak to put up any kind of physical struggle, he simply looked up at Sheik with pain and pleading in his exhausted blue eyes. The Sheikah leader returned his heartbreaking gaze with one of determination and reassurance that she was not about to let him fall into the hands of the enemy at such a vulnerable moment. "You already have the goddess. What could you possibly want with him?"

"Two things," Veress smiled evilly. "The first is that with both the goddess and her hero in our grasp, there will be no more resistance from either of them. And the second is that I'd just love to know more about that 'corruption' that the sword spirit spoke of..." She said, glancing back towards Fi, who was trying her hardest to break free from the barrier that Veress had trapped her in, but was unable to do so on her own.

"Let him go, Veress," Sheik said with firm anger. "He has done nothing. Are you so afraid of resistance to your little coup that you must prey upon those who are suffering on levels that you could not even know?"

The rebel leader's expression darkened at at this accusation, but even so, she held onto the hero tighter than ever. "Its not my fault that he's loosing himself more and more," she said hotly. "I heard what the sword spirit said! You might as well face facts, Sheik. Your trusted little hero is going to die and there's nothing that anyone can do about it. I simply want to reunite him with his precious goddess before that happens. Its only fair, don't you think?"

By this point, the Sheikah leader was so enraged that she was unable to contain it. "I mean it, Veress," she said, aiming her knife to throw it at the rebel leader. "If you don't let him go, this time, I won't hesitate to finish you!"

Veress laughed at this threat, believing that Sheik had no intentions of following through on it. "I'd like to see you try," she scoffed with a cocky grin.

No more than a second after those words came out of the rebel leader's mouth, Sheik's knife flew past her face, only missing her nose by a few inches before embedding itself into the far wall. Veress glared at her adversary, realizing that this time, Sheik had been provoked and she fully meant it. And so, she hesitantly relinquished her grasp on Link, taking careful steps back as her followers began to gather around her once more. "Don't think this is the end, either of you," she said darkly. "I will have my revenge against you, Sheik, and you will be mine soon, hero. I can promise you both that." Without another word, Veress threw something down onto the ground and along with her entire legion of followers, they vanished on the breath of its explosion, taking the Goddess's harp with them.

The moment the Interlopers had left, the barrier that Veress had cast around Fi vanished and without hesitation, the sword spirit rushed towards the fallen Master Sword. At the same time, Sheik, though still harboring feelings of both shame and frustration, hurried over to Link nonetheless, kneeling down to his level to try and help him in any way she could. But before she could even say a word to him, Fi approached them both, holding the Master Sword in her grasp as she laid it on the ground directly in front of the hero and also kneeled down before him. After giving a quick distrustful glance to Sheik, she turned to look at her master with clear pity and worry before taking both of his hands and placing them on the pure metal of the blade. A soft blue light surrounded both of them as the demon's influence was driven away once again and Link was brought back from the brink of corruption once more. For the fourth time, his chest wound was sealed up and all of the pounding pain he had felt earlier vanished all at once, replaced with rejuvenating relief and comfort.

As the sword spirit helped to heal the hero, the Sheikah leader slowly stood and walked over to the open side doors of the temple, letting out a long sigh of agitation. This was the first time she had ever really failed before and while the Interlopers had only gotten one of the two keys to breaking the seal on the Triforce, the one that had been her duty to guard had so easily slipped out of her hands during a moment of emotional weakness. She knew that she should have done what she had to end the threat that Veress posed when she had the chance, but her morals and the scarred past that she shared with the rebel leader prevented her from doing so. But even so, she knew that she was failing on all accounts. She was failing her people, her former mentor, the goddess, but most of all, she was failing the hero, for she knew that in the end, nobody, including her, would be able to save him.

* * *

After a little less than an hour of scouring the nearby rooms of the temple for something heavy, Zelda was fortunate enough to come across a large hammer amongst several other weapons. She wasted no time in dragging it back to the room where the dark relic was, despite its weight, and she approached the stone object with a firm resolve to destroy it before the situation got any worse. Mustering up all of her strength, the girl lifted the hammer up as high as she could, but just as she was about to bring it down upon the relic, she caught onto the sound of approaching voices and footsteps. Her eyes grew wide as her thoughts began to race for a plan. The Interlopers were obviously returning from wherever they had gone and so now there was no time to destroy their source of power. Zelda knew that if she were caught trying to smash their dark relic into pieces, the penalty would be severe. Her desire to escape from her prison was stronger than her desire to cut off the rebels' power and so, she dropped the hammer and hurried out of the room through the other door as fast as she could. However, she stopped short when she had rounded the corner to catch her breath, silently hoping and praying that the Interlopers would not find her.

The rowdy conversation of the rebels went on for several minutes as their entire legion of around two hundred began to file into the room. However, they were all silent as their leader climbed onto the platform to speak to them. "My brothers and sisters!" Veress called out in a commanding voice. "I am proud to say that our efforts over the past two days have been quite fruitful. Not only do we have the goddess herself in our custody, but just today, my elite warriors and I encountered the hero and our former 'leader' Sheik, within the Sealed Temple, and it is my pleasure to report that the key to breaking the seal upon the Triforce is finally ours!" Upon hearing this, the Interlopers cheered, but Zelda gasped in surprise and worry as she glanced around the corner to see that Veress was holding up her prize, the Goddess's Harp, to show off to all of her followers. She bit her lip nervously as she continued to listen, hoping that they did not abscond with the Ocarina of Time as well.

"However, we mustn't be too hasty, my Dark Interlopers," Veress went on once the group was quiet. "Now that we have the harp, we may have access to the Triforce, yes, but there is another pressing matter at hand. Thanks to Sheik's incessant meddling, the hero of the goddess has evaded capture once more." The moment the rebel leader said this, Zelda let out a sigh of relief that the Interlopers had not subdued Link, but Veress was far from finished. "As you all know, we have need of the hero in order to exact our vengeance upon both him and the goddess, which they so richly deserve. However, I believe that we might find another use for the hero as well..." Zelda leaned forward with curiosity and worry, listening carefully to get any piece of information she could get to help in their plight. "As we were spying on the hero as he went to reclaim the Master Sword, the spirit of the blade mentioned something that peaked my interest. The spirit spoke of a corruption that was pressing its influence upon the hero, wanting to claim his very being and soul. We are unsure of what presence is causing it, but perhaps we could use this to our advantage once we capture him. Do you not all agree?"

A roar of agreement went up among the Interlopers as Zelda let out a quiet gasp of surprise and fear at this revolution. "Corruption?" she whispered, wondering what Veress had meant by that. She had figured before that Link had been hiding something from her, but this sounded much more serious than she had previously thought. And now she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he knew exactly what was going on. He had been lying to her, but why? Did he think that she wouldn't have been able to help him? Did he just not trust her enough to share this with her, even though it was clearly threatening them both? The girl couldn't help but feel both betrayed and deceived by the hero who claimed to love her. But all the same, she was going to get to the bottom of this. And if he wasn't going to give her the answers she wanted, she knew exactly who would. "I have to talk to Terminus..." she said to herself, reaffirming her resolve to get out of the temple. However before she could start down the hall once again, a murmur of sudden anger arose among the Interlopers.

"Find the goddess!" Veress's enraged voice rang out throughout the meeting hall as Zelda's eyes grew wide with sudden fear in the realization that they had discovered the hammer near their dark relic. "Do not let her evade you! She must pay for trying destroy our Fused Shadow! And if any of you let her get near it again, then you will have to answer to me. Now go!"

The sounds of many footsteps echoed throughout the hall as the Interlopers quickly dispersed, rushing through every hallway in an attempt to find the girl. However, she had already started running, racing down the hall she was in simply in an attempt to escape from their leader's wrath. She was fueled on fear, anger and adrenaline, but even so, she had absolutely no intention of letting herself get caught. She could hear the rebels' as the hurried after her, but none of them seemed to spot her, much to her good fortune. Eventually the sounds of their feet and voices faded into nothingness, but she continued to run anyway, even to the point of exhaustion. Every part of her body was sore from physical exertion and her heart was pounding wildly but even so, she knew that getting apprehended again now would destroy her chances of escape.

After what seemed like hours of running, Zelda eventually slowed down into a walk, realizing that she was completely and utterly lost once more, but at least the Interlopers were nowhere in sight. But all the same, she needed rest if she was ever going to get out of their stronghold. She had no idea if she was close to an exit or not, or even if their was one at all, but if she ever wanted to find it, she had to get some sleep. And so, after a few minutes of looking for a secure place, she found a small, hidden nook to curl up into. But all the same, her heart was heavy with dread and worry. Not only was her life in grave danger, but she could not forget what Veress had said about Link. Just how deep did this corruption run? What was its cause and most importantly, how could it be stopped? Though the girl was angry with the hero for lying to her about something so dire, she still wanted to do everything she could to help him, especially if his life was on the line. After all, he had saved her life before. If she could return the favor in any way, she would be happy to. And even more than that, she still loved him, despite the grave struggles that they both faced. She knew that alone, they wouldn't be able to overcome those struggles, which was why, now more than ever, she craved to reunite with him, even if it was only to feel secure and loved in his presence once more. And so, even though her mind was filled with grief and sorrow, she let it all go as she embraced sleep, dreaming of all the things that currently evaded her: freedom, comfort, hope and the days of peace and love that she couldn't wait to share with her beloved hero once more.

* * *

_Dang, this chapter was long! Sorry about that, but I couldn't find a good breaking point soo... So anyway, who wants some dramatic backstory next chapter? I know I do, which is why its gonna be mostly all dramatic backstory in the next chapter, in which we will uncover the mystery behind Sheik and Veress's mysterious past! oooooo! _

_Anyway, who's all hyped for Wind Waker HD? I know I am, which I why I recently posted the first chapter of my brand new Wind Waker story, Twisted Fates! Its dramatic and heavy on the same levels that the Bound Destinies stories are, which is awesome! I encourage you to check it out here: s/9684447/1/Twisted-Fates You won't be disappointed! :D And that's all folks! Always review! Until Next Time!_


	14. Sheik and Veress

_Ok, so this one took a while cause life is annoyingly busy and junk but I can promise you that its gonna be a great one! So, I'll keep the intro for this one short and sweet. Thank you Bebe-Susy, chibi387, and Vivi-ntvg for following! Now onto the reviews!_

**Lovely girl 10-**_He's safe indeed... for now... (commence evil author's laugh ;) And yeah, I couldn't just let Zelda get caught! That'd be too mean! :D_

**Nikrael**_-Aw... Thanks so much! (blushes) _

**Vivi-ntvg**_-Yeah, I think it was a little fluffy in the beginning but I'm happy with the level that its at now. Action, emotion, backstory, all that good stuff :D Enjoy!_

**Zelink005**_-You're too kind! :D Anyway, Fi is pretty epic now, right? Plus, she actually has a mind of her own an opinions now, so look out for those! And not only is Sheik nicer to Link, but I think you'll discover that she's about to grow a little more warmer to him, which could turn out good or bad depending on how the plot goes... I know its confusing, but it will make sense soon! And I hate to say it, but Zelda is gonna be a little infuriated with Link... but you'll see why soon! Enjoy the chapter!_

_Ok, so before we begin the chapter, I feel like I should explain something about this special chapter. Because its mostly backstory, there are several italicized sections spread throughout this chapter. What those basically indicate is a flashback about Sheik and Veress's past. Whenever its not italicized, we're back in the main narrative. Hope it all makes sense when we get into it! Let's get started!_

* * *

_ Chapter 13: Sheik and Veress_

The first thing that Link noticed upon fully recovering from his latest spell of corruption was that Sheik was no longer right beside him as she had been before Fi had brought the Master Sword to him. Opening his eyes fully and glancing around the temple, he quickly discovered that the Sheikah leader was nowhere in sight. Her disappearance was disconcerting to him, considering the fact that there was a very real chance that she could have gone off after Veress on her own, in pursuit of the Goddess's Harp, a dangerous and reckless mission for anyone to attempt alone.

"Fi, where's Sheik?" the hero asked the sword spirit as she took her hands off the Master Sword, relinquishing it to his care. Fi did not answer him, but rather cast an angry glare towards the ground. Link gave her a confused look, but pressed on nonetheless. "Fi-"

"She is outside," the spirit answered rather sharply, clear aggravation and bitterness on her robotic tone. Her glare softened however, when she realized that she had unintentionally disrespected the hero. "Master... I am sorry... What I mean to say is that she stepped out into the woods. Do not worry, she is right outside, but... before you go out to meet her, I must have a brief word with you, Master Link..."

"What's wrong, Fi?" he asked as he resheathed the Master Sword.

She sighed, glaring down once more. "With all due respect, Master, I do not think it is wise to place your trust in that... _Sheikah_..." she placed an distasteful emphasis on the word 'Sheikah' as she cast a glance towards the open side doors of the temple.

"What?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "Why not?"

"It is a matter of the current state of her tribe..." Fi said with cold calculation. "While it is true that she is a direct descendant of Impa, it is clear to see that presently, the Sheikah tribe is going through a great schism. It is safe to say that all of them should be considered as enemies to both you and Zelda, rather than allies, including Sheik. For all we know, she could be secretly allied with the Interlopers, leading you astray with the purpose of betraying you into Veress's hands sometime in the near future. Perhaps you should evaluate the situation further and-"

"Stop it, Fi," the hero said firmly, refusing to even fathom what she was telling him. "Sheik's not like them. She wants to help Zelda, just like I do. What has she done to make you think she can't be trusted?"

"She let the Interlopers get away with the Goddess's Harp," the spirit said somewhat crossly.

"She didn't just let them get away!" Link argued, starting to grow impatient with her. "She-"

"Listen, Master..." Fi said, giving him a piercing gaze. "I am not trying to tell you what to do. I am simply trying to advise you in the best course of action. Might I remind you that we are dealing with a very delicate situation here on all sides? The surface and Zelda are both in great danger at the hands of the Interlopers and your own life is bending to the threat of corruption. The last thing you need at the moment is to be subdued at the hands of the Interlopers thanks to any form of misguided faith. I simply wish to help you see what is best for you..."

"Well maybe I can figure out what's best for me on my own!" Link said in defiant frustration as he rose to his feet. "I'm not a little kid, Fi! I can think for myself. And I think you're wrong about Sheik. She's not going to betray me. I trust her and you should too."

Fi said nothing as she took the reprimand of her master, but instead she simply gave him a cold look of indifference. She refused to admit that she was wrong, even to her own master. And so, she simply looked away from him as he finished, showing that she was done with this conversation. Link sighed when he saw that she gave him no reaction. He had a mind to apologize for getting harsh with her, but knew that to do so know would undermine his resolve. He fully believed that the sword spirit was wrong in her theory about the Sheikah leader and he intended to prove it. And so, he turned and slowly started for the side doors that Sheik had went out of, leaving the spirit behind in the echoing silence of the temple.

Looking around the wooded area around the temple, Link found no immediate signs of Sheik. But nonetheless, he continued on into the entrance of Faron Woods until he began to hear the soft sound of whistling wafting through the trees. It formed a cohesive melody, one that was low and morose, and the hero followed it to its source: a somewhat short tree not too far away, in which the leader of the Sheikahs sat, looking across the forest while crafting her sad tune.

For several minutes, Link simply stood beneath the low branch that she was sitting on, watching her as she took no notice of his presence. But all the same, Sheik knew that he was there; she simply did not wish to acknowledge his presence. The continuity of her uniform whistling was broken however, when the hero finally decided to address her.

"What are you doing up there?" he called out to her. She stopped whistling and closed her eyes, but did not give him any other form of an answer. Seeing this and getting somewhat frustrated with the fact that she appeared to be ignoring him, Link started to climb the tree until he reached a sturdy branch that was conveniently close to the one Sheik was on. Even as he settled down, the Sheikah leader did not so much as glance at him. A tentative silence lingered between the two of them, until curiosity got the better of the hero and he began to press her with questions once more. "I don't know if you heard me before," he started, trying to be as casual as he could. "But I asked you what you were doing up here. Is something wrong?"

Sheik sighed before opening her eyes and staring at him intently with her piercing red eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out for several minutes. When she finally did speak, her voice was quiet and sorrowful. "I'm sorry..." she said, looking down towards the ground. "Its my fault that they got away with the harp."

"But they didn't get the ocarina," Link offered in consolation. "They can't get the Triforce without it. Its OK, Sheik."

"No, its not," Sheik said firmly. "I had the perfect opportunity to get rid of the threat that Veress posed, but I didn't... And because of that, it not only cost us the harp, but it almost cost you your life."

"I would have been fine even if they had taken me," the hero said with genuine confidence. "But that's not the problem here, is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, something else is bothering you, right?"

Sheik's frown deepened. "How do you know?" she asked avertedly.

"Because," Link said with a slight reminiscing smile. "You do the same things that Zelda does when she's upset. You both go off alone and mope, ignore other people and refuse to admit that something is wrong when something clearly is. I told you all about what's wrong with me; now its your turn."

The leader of the Sheikahs gave him a momentary glare, which softened almost instantly as she met his honest sky blue gaze. She let out a relenting sigh before looking out towards the woods once more, knowing that she had to finally reveal everything to him. "It seems so long ago now..." she said wistfully, almost to herself. "But it was only a few months ago..."

"What happened?" the hero asked gently, noticing her melancholy.

"I... I lost... my best friend..." Sheik struggled to say, fighting her tears back with all of her power. "Veress..."

Link was admittedly surprised at this sudden revelation, but he didn't let it show. "Go on..." he said calmly, devoting his focus entirely to the Sheikah leader.

Sheik still did not make eye contact with him as she began her long tale. "In my tribe, there are many different laws and customs that your people would consider to be quite strange..." she started, her tone even and contemplative. "One such law that has been upheld in the Sheikah tribe for generations dictates that marriage is forbidden, as is any and all forms of romantic love. Our main purpose is to endlessly strive to protect and serve the goddess and such passions of the flesh are said to cloud the mind from responsibility and proper judgement. And so, we reproduce by birthing mothers, whose sole role in our culture is to bear the children of the Sheikah, those who will one day become our scholars, warriors, teachers, crafters, and leaders. Because of this, no Sheikah child is ever really raised by their parents. Rather, we are raised by the entirety of the village. Different people watch over us, train us, teach us and protect us until we are old enough to be on our own. When I was born, the only thing that was known about my heritage was that I was a direct descendant of the great Impa, and I already told you that she practically raised me. But Veress... Well, no one really knew where she came from. She just sort of... showed up one day, an abandoned infant without any recorded birthing mother or direct father. No one really wanted her since she was a weak and sickly child, and strength and fortitude are things that are highly valued by Sheikahs. But all the same, Veress was still a member of the tribe and so Impa took both her and myself in, watching over us and teaching us everything she knew. However, there was still a rift in how both us were viewed by the other Sheikahs; Impa taking me in was a sign of privilege for me, but for Veress, it was a stigma of pity.

"Because we grew up together, Veress and I were basically born friends. We would always do everything together, from battle training to lore studies. There were no secrets between us; the trust that we had for each other was infallible, through thick and thin. But all the same, I was really the only friend Veress had as a child... She was always so outspoken, so bold, much more than I ever was. The only thing was that her opinions and ideas always seemed to conflict with everyone else's. She was a good fighter and she was smart, to be sure, but she certainly wasn't popular. And perhaps one of the reasons she turned out the way she did was because it was always her against the world..."

* * *

_Throughout much of their intermediate childhoods, Sheik and Veress, like all other Sheikah children, were expected to occupy most of their free time with training. Such training could take a variety of forms, from mental training such as meditation, to physical training, such as staff dueling, which was the kind of training that the two young friends had decided to engage in one day when they were both ten. _

_The two wooden staffs of both young opponents clashed as they playfully fought in the lawn of the commons of Kakariko Village. Their laughter resonated as they batted their practice weapons at each other in a variety of ways, squaring off in a friendly competition._

_"You're not gonna beat me this time, Veress!" Sheik said with a challenging grin as the two girls pressed their staffs together._

_"Oh yeah?" Veress answered with equal verve. "Then what are you planning on doing about this!" With one swift move, the orange haired Sheikah dropped to the ground and rolled behind her opponent, knocking her off her feet as she did so. Sheik fell to the ground clumsily, dropping her staff on the way down. _

_"No fair!" the blonde girl frowned up at her friend. "You were using advanced techniques!"_

_"Yeah, but we're both gonna learn them one day, so might as well practice them now, huh?" Veress smiled proudly as she extended a hand down to help Sheik up. "Looks like you're just gonna have to train harder if you ever want to beat_ _me!"_

_Sheik crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah..." she said sidedly. "But I have to say, Veress, you're doing better than how they said you would. In a few years, maybe you could even lead a band of warriors! Wouldn't that be cool?"_

_Veress's expression became serious as she looked out at the nearby groups of Sheikah children their age, all playing in their own respective groups. "No..." she said quietly. "I don't wanna just lead a simple group of warriors..."_

_"Oh?" Sheik raised an eyebrow. "Then what do you wanna do?"_

_"I... I wanna be in charge..." Veress said as a small, ambitious smile started to claim her face. "I wanna take Mistress Impa's place when she's gone. And then, maybe they'll all finally accept me as one of them, like you do, Sheik."_

_Sheik's smile faded as she realized just how much her friend seemed to want this. "But Veress... Mistress Impa isn't going anywhere for a long time..."_

_"You don't know that, Sheik! She's really old... One day, who knows? I could be the next leader of the Sheikah tribe!"_

_"Well... maybe..." Sheik said, picking up her stick to resume their practice. "But in the meantime, you gotta teach me that rolling move so I can use it against you and win the next spar!"_

_Veress laughed as she resumed a fighting stance. "As if!" she said as the two went at it again._

* * *

"It was clear that Veress's lifelong dream was to become the leader of our tribe..." Sheik said to Link as the morning sun started to drift into the afternoon sky. "And I used to think that she had all of the qualities of a good leader too: ambition, bravery, organization... She was a good fighter and she was as passionate about all things Sheikah as any person could be, but... She was never good at conforming... She hated it, with every fiber of her being. It used to get her into so much trouble, how she'd question our teachers and trainer. On occasion she would even test Impa herself, but luckily for her, Impa was more patient with her ways than most were.

"At first, I never really thought too much about Veress's desire to become our leader. I supported her the best I could because I was her friend, and I saw nothing wrong with her dream. I fully believed that she's make a suitable replacement for Impa if she were to ever pass away... That is... until one day, a little more than a year ago... It was then that we both began to realize that her plans involved much more than simply leading our tribe..."

* * *

_"The ancient prophecies left behind by the goddess Hylia state that one day, in the near future, Demise will begin to break free from his long-standing prison..." Impa instructed Sheik, Veress, and a group of other students as they all sat within the Sealed Temple for a standard lesson on Sheikah lore. "In his great fury, he will seek to ravage this land and all of its inhabitants once more..."_

_"Mistress Impa!" Veress raised her hand with another one of the her usual questions. "Do you know when exactly Demise is supposed to return?"_

_A serious look came across Impa's aged face. "My children," she began solemnly, looking out across the crowd of her adolescent pupils. "If everything that has been foretold is correct, this will happen within your lifetimes... Perhaps even within the next few years."_

_A quiet, somewhat worried murmur rose up among the group as Veress leaned over to Sheik and whispered excitedly. "Don't worry. Us Sheikah will be able to handle Demise and seal him right back into that hole in the ground, right?"_

_Before Sheik could offer an answer, Impa continued recounting the passed down legend. "Do not fret, my children. For in those days when Demise's revival is at hand, the goddess shall return to this land in the form of the spirit maiden. She shall descend from the world above the clouds, and from the isle in the sky, shall her chosen hero also emerge."_

_Sheik noticed as Veress's confident smile faded, replaced with a look of confusion and distaste. Impa went on nonetheless. "The chosen hero will bring about Demise's ultimate defeat. He shall triumph over the demon king using the might of the sacred Triforce and shall usher in an age of peace unto this land... Meditate on this lesson, my children, for it was written by the hand of the goddess herself for your knowledge. You are dismissed!"_

_The group of students dispersed from the temple, and Sheik and Veress adjourned to the area right outside the temple's front doors, which overlooked the pit that Demise was said to be sealed within. "Chosen hero!" Veress scoffed, crossing her arms and scowling. "Please! I don't believe any of that nonsense for a second!"_

_"But Veress," Sheik protested calmly. "Mistress Impa said that legend was written by the hand of the goddess herself. It has to be true."_

_"No it doesn't!" Veress said firmly. "It doesn't make sense, Sheik! Why in the world would Hylia even need a chosen hero to come down here, from the sky of all places, just to vanquish Demise when she has a huge tribe of warriors perfectly capable of doing the job better down here?! We could do this, Sheik! Our whole tribe! We could defeat Demise!"_

_"But..." Sheik stammered, clearly conflicted by what her best friend was telling her and what her mentor had already said. "Mistress Impa..."_

_"Sheik, Mistess Impa is old," Veress said point-blank. "She's been around more years than we can count. Maybe she's just not all there anymore. Or maybe the goddess's legends were mistranslated as they were passed on down through the ages. But all the same, this 'chosen hero' business... It just doesn't seem right!"_

_"So... what are you saying, Veress?"_

_"I'm saying that this is clearly what we're meant to do!" she said passionately. "It must be our destiny! Just think of it, Sheik! The Sheikah tribe will go down in history as the greatest race ever, the brave warriors who brought the demon king down and saved this land from eternal darkness! And just think of how much praise and recognition their leader would get... I could do this. WE could do this, Sheik! We CAN do this! And... If I become leader of our tribe one day, which I'm certain I will, We WILL do this!"_

* * *

"When Veress was telling me all of this, I couldn't help but feel like that entire conversation was wrong..." Sheik admitted. "I had never really been openly opposed to her any of her ideas before, even if they were bad, but then again, she had never openly opposed the staples of Sheikah lore before. Everything that she had said seemed to boarder on treason against the goddess's teachings. And even more than that, though her initial intentions sounded noble, it started to become increasingly obvious that her greatest goal was for her own glory and gratification. But all the same, I kept quiet about her plans and ambitions, not wanting to stir up any trouble. However, my neutrality about the situation didn't last long, because right after that conversation with Veress, my life changed forever...

* * *

_Sheik stood alone within the wooded area surrounding the Sealed Grounds, her mind swimming in worried thought. For the past week, she had been musing over what Veress had purposed about the Sheikahs taking on Demise. Though her best friend often spoke passionately about the idea, Sheik didn't agree with her. She knew that it was against everything that Impa had taught both of them, but she knew from experience that there was no proving Veress wrong when she had her mind set on something. Sheik had no idea what to do about the situation though; she wasn't about to get her best friend in trouble with the elders of their tribe simply because of some idea, but she also had no intentions of supporting Veress on this one. And so, all she could really do was hope that the thought would fade from Veress's mind with time and everything would simply blow over without incident._

_As she was lost in thought, she was completely oblivious to the silent figure who had crept up behind her, and as they gently touched her shoulder, Sheik nearly jumped out of her skin in alarm. She spun around instantly upon the sudden contact, drawing her small knife and taking up a defensive position as she looked at her potential adversary. The other person who had joined her was also a Sheikah, a young woman just a few years older than her from the look of her lean, tall and wispy form. She had very short, very light blonde hair, some of which ran down the right side of her face in a thin string. She a scarlet tattoo of the classic Sheikah eye on her forehead and a white teardrop tattoo down her cheek. And based on both that and her blue and gold clothes, which were telling of a leader of her tribe, Sheik was able to tell exactly who this person was, even though she hardly believed it. _

_"You... you're..." Sheik stammered as her red eyes grew wide in shock and amazement. _

_The older woman gave her a warm smile and nodded, understanding her confusion and surprise. "Yes, Sheik..." she said in a smooth, almost motherly tone. "I am Impa..."_

* * *

"Impa's younger self couldn't have appeared to me at a better time..." Sheik said wistfully, lost in her memories. "I needed guidance perhaps more than anything else and I knew she could give it to me. But of course, I had many questions and so she explained everything quickly. She had stepped through the Gate of Time in Laynayru for two reasons: the first was to guide and protect the spirit maiden when she arrived on the surface and the second was to ensure that the Sheikah tribe would be left in good hands when she was gone. I don't know how she knew I was supposed to be the one who would replace her, but she did..."

* * *

_"What?" Sheik asked with confusion upon the younger Impa telling her everything. "You want me, ME of all people, to become our tribe's next leader? You must be joking!"_

_"I am not," Impa said sincerely. "I have conferred with myself from this time and I have personally observed and we both agree that you, Sheik, are the one most suitable out of any in your generation to succeed me."_

_"But... why?"_

_"Because," Impa said with a soft smile. "You have the eyes of truth, a quality that has not been seen in our tribe for generations. You can see things that others cannot."_

_"Well, I've never noticed anything that no one else can see before!" Sheik protested. "Impa... I mean, Mistress Impa... I... I just don't think I'm the right person to take on such a huge responsibility!"_

_"And why not?"_

_"Well... because... because I'm not... I'm not ambitious, or brave, or strong, or anything else a leader should be! You want someone like my friend Veress to be our leader, someone who's full of ideas, who can stir people with those ideas, who can really take charge. She's much better suited for the job than me..."_

_Impa frowned but placed a consoling hand on her descendant's shoulder. "You doubt yourself to much, my child," she said comfortingly. "It is true that you have much to learn before you can truly become the leader of our tribe, but that is why I have come to teach you everything I know about leadership. The time is quickly approaching when both the spirit maiden and the chosen hero will descend into this land. When they finally vanquish the demon king, that will be the time for you to realize your responsibility of leading our tribe to peace and a bright future. I will not be around much longer, but you... I am certain that the future will be bright with you lighting the way through the darkness for our people..."_

_Sheik looked down for a moment, mulling over the words that Impa had told her and finding hope in them. If the leader of their tribe, the one who had raised her from birth, trusted her with such a great burden, then she would do her best to fulfill her trust. "Thank you..." the girl said with a small smile as she looked up to her mentor. "I won't let you down..."_

* * *

"And so, Impa started training me in secret," Sheik continued. "She taught me all of the hidden fighting and magic techniques and legends of our people, and she even gave me leadership advice along the way. It helped a lot; after a few weeks of intensive training, I finally started to feel worthy of taking up the position. I was not allowed to tell anyone about my training or the fact that I had been chosen to be our tribe's next leader and that was fine with me; I didn't want anyone knowing, especially Veress. But I knew that I wouldn't be able to hide it forever. As much as I wanted to make Impa proud, I knew that the only way I could do that was to take my best friend's dream away.

"Of course, matriarchs of our tribe are not simply chosen by our previous leader. Instead, they are decided in a duel between the two most suitable candidates. The winner is appointed as our next leader. When the duel was first announced a few weeks beforehand, Veress was so excited... It was all she could really talk about, aside from her plans to lead our people into battle against Demise. And every time she'd talk to me about it, I'd get a guilty knot inside my stomach... I knew that I'd have to tell her eventually and so one day, I just... blurted out the fact that I was going to be the one she would have to fight to be our tribe's leader. And she certainly didn't take it well. She was furious, claiming that I was betraying our friendship and trust. I had never seen her so angry before... She said that she hated me, and that she never wanted to speak to me again. And even though I wanted to argue back and claim that I was doing this for the best of our tribe... I just... couldn't find the words to say. I sat there silently while our lifelong friendship just collapsed and, as you can tell... it still hasn't been repaired and it probably never will be..."

* * *

_The Sealed Temple was packed full with the entirety of the Sheikah tribe as they all gathered to watch the duel that would decide their next leader. As was customary, Sheik and Veress both stood a distance away from each other before the fight actually began, both of them staring intently at the other. Behind Veress's dark red eyes was a look of betrayal and hatred, but behind Sheik's lighter eyes was a look of guilt and apology. Both of them knew there was no going back; whoever won this battle would ultimately decide the future of the Sheikah tribe and neither one of them was willing to back down from their respective goals. _

_Upon the elderly Impa's word, the battle commenced. Both girls rushed for each other with their short knives blazing. The metal weapons clashed hard as the first strike rung out throughout the temple. The other Sheikah's waited on baited breaths as they watched their two prospective leaders exchange blow after blow, all of them silently rooting for one of the two. Both Sheik and Veress said nothing as they fought, for what was there to be said? Their friendship was over and they were now pitted against each other in both a physical and emotional battle. How different their intentions for wanting to be the matriarch of the Sheikahs were; one wanted glory and recognition while the other wanted to bring honor and pride to her mentor. But all the same, the duel between the two of them raged on for what seemed like ages, until Veress, in desperation to triumph over her former best friend, implemented cheating tactics. Though it was against the rules of the duel to use magic, Veress used some of the magic that she had learned to attempt to blind Sheik momentarily, so she could gain the upper hand. Her strategy worked long enough for her to use a low kick to knock Sheik off of her feet, but the blonde Sheikah was not immune to the illusion for long. Before Veress could land the winning blow, Sheik regained her vision and rolled out of her knife's direct reach. However, Veress was just quick enough that her knife cut into the Sheik's left cheek, creating a small cut that quickly started to bleed. Sheik ignored it however, knowing that she had to win this battle, even if it was against her former best friend. _

_With renewed vigor, Sheik implemented some of the moves that Impa had taught her, ones that Veress had no idea how to counter. Leaping high into the air, Sheik soared over Veress's head and landed behind her, elbowing her in the back upon landing and knocking her off balance. When Veress started to turn to counter, Sheik slashed her knife lightly across Veress's chest armor before kicking her in the stomach and knocking her into the wall. Before Veress could even try to pick herself up from the harsh blow, Sheik placed her foot firmly upon her back, halting the red-haired Sheikah's movements as the blonde Sheikah pointed her knife at her, signifying that the battle was finally over. _

_The crowd cheered over Sheik's victory but Sheik herself did not smile or take any form of joy in the win. Instead, she locked eyes with Veress, who was looking at her with so much bitter contempt that it almost made her burst into tears. Certainly, there was no fixing what had been broken now. As Sheik was about to take on the role of the leader of the Sheikahs, her longstanding, seemingly unbreakable friendship with Veress was forever over. _

* * *

"I didn't see Veress much anymore after that," Sheik said, her tone low and moroseful. "I saw her only for a moment at my commencement ceremony, but the moment we glanced at each other, she stepped out of the Sealed Temple, but not before giving me another look of disgust and anger. Impa told me that I should have been excited about taking upon the proud mantle of our tribe, but how could I be knowing that Veress, my best friend, hated me with every fiber of her being? Even as I started taking on more responsibilities and tasks around the village, regret still filled my mind. I couldn't find any inner peace because of it, and so I decided to finally confide in Impa about everything, hoping that she could at the very least comfort me somehow..."

* * *

_Once again, Sheik stood alone before the pit of the Sealed Grounds, starring into the deep hole in the ground intently. Her lips were pursed in an expression of disturbance and her scarlet eyes were tightly focused on the Sealing Spike several feet below, under which the demon king was sealed away. _

_"You feel it too, don't you, my child...?" Impa said as she slowly walked up to stand beside Sheik._

_ The younger Sheikah looked down to her elder and nodded. "Yes..." she said, glancing back to the hole again. "I do..."_

_"Do you know what it is?" Impa's younger self asked as she appeared out of thin air on Sheik's other side. _

_Sheik was silent for a moment, before her look of focus darkened into a glare. "Demise..."_

_Both Impas nodded slowly. "Yes..." the elderly Sheikahh said. "Few are sensitive to the climate of evil that is pervading this land. Those that can feel it are tied to the fate of the surface..."_

_"I'm not sure if I understand..." Sheik said tentatively. "What does it mean?"_

_"It means that the time of destiny is quickly approaching for both the spirit maiden and the chosen hero..." the younger Impa said. "Demise will soon break free..."_

_"How soon?" Sheik asked, hiding her worry well._

_"Quite soon," the elderly Impa said. "If I could guess, it will be within the next few days..."_

_Sheik's eyes widened as she glanced between both of her mentors. "What?" she asked, knowing well what this meant. "But... but that means..."_

_"Yes," the younger Impa nodded. "Both of us will soon be gone... And you will fully take our place as leader of the Sheikah tribe..."_

_Sheik was silent for a long moment as she realized just how much she would miss the counsel and support of her mentor, both young and old. But despite her sadness, she still had something she needed to get off her chest to both of them, before they were gone forever. "I... I'm glad that both of you could meet with me..." she said, changing subjects. "I need to talk to you about something important... Its about Veress..."_

_"Yes..." the elderly Impa nodded wisely, already knowing full well about what Sheik wanted to discuss. "We are both well aware of Veress's ambitions and of her anger with you for putting an end to her plans..."_

_"You are?" Sheik asked in suprise._

_The younger Impa nodded, her expression grave. "Though her intentions are to put an end to the demon king, Veress does not wish to adhere to the destiny that the goddess laid out for the Sheikah tribe centuries ago. It was for that reason that she could not be allowed to succeed us. We know that opposing her has been hard for you but there is something you must know about Veress... There is a darkness within her, one that has pervaded her thoughts and filled her with greed and powerlust."_

_"Be warned that those who succumb to the darkness of their own souls are often driven to extreme levels to get what they desire..." the elderly Impa said. "Because of this, you must be wary of Veress, Sheik. She is not to be trusted any longer..."_

_"But... she was my best friend..." Sheik said, having a hard time believing what they were telling her. "Maybe all I need to do is just talk to her, make her understand that-"_

_"Sheik," the younger Impa said firmly, but with understanding. "There is no correcting one who refuses to believe that they are wrong. For the sake of our people you must choose where your ultimate loyalty and responsibility lies: is it with your former friend, or your entire tribe?"_

_Sheik was quiet for another long period of time as she looked down into the pit once more. It seemed that no matter how hard she tried, her friendship with Veress would never be salvageable. She hated the fact that she had to ultimately loose it to the responsibility she had been forced into taking on. But as much as she wanted to try and make Veress see the light, she knew that it was impossible. The damage had been done and she knew better than to live in the past. She could only move on and try to lead her people the best she could, to guide them to the future that Impa wanted her to lead them into. And so, bowing her head, she closed her eyes and made her final choice for the future of her tribe and her own future. She relayed that choice to her mentors with resolve and determination, knowing that she could not fail them. "I choose my people..." she said firmly. "And I always will..."_

* * *

"I followed through on what I said," Sheik said hollowly. "I stopped thinking about Veress altogether and threw myself into my work, fully devoting myself to my role as leader. Veress and I continued to avoid each other; I figured that eventually, she would just fall in line with the rest of the Sheikahs and forget her notions of going up against Demise. I had heard rumors that she had not been at all happy when you and her grace finally found your way to the surface and that she had been enraged upon discovering that Demise had been vanquished, but I had not seen her or spoken to her directly for quite some time. Life sort of settled into a normal pattern as I assumed full leadership of the Sheikah tribe after Impa's death and even Veress seemed to accept it. But I should have known that all this time, she had been sneaking around, plotting in the shadows and slowly gaining followers... I never could have expected that any of this would have happened, even after Impa warned me to beware of Veress..." Sheik sighed, finally taking a break from her long story as she gave a genuine, apologetic look to Link. "I'm so sorry..." she said solemnly. "Everything that's happened to you and her grace... Its all my fault..."

"No, its not," the hero said, still mulling over everything she had just told him. "Like you said, you couldn't have known what Veress had been planning."

"Yes, but I can't help but feel responsible for stirring up feelings of hatred and greed within her," Sheik sighed. "If I had not opposed her in the way that I had, then maybe she wouldn't have gone to such extremes to get what she wants... Its because of me that both of you are in so much danger... I could not be sorry enough for that..."

"Sheik, listen to me," Link said firmly, and Sheik immediately locked eye contact with him due to the seriousness of his tone. "This is not your fault. I don't blame you for what's happened and I'm not going to. And I know that you've been through a lot, but maybe this is your chance to make things right... For both of us to make things right..."

Sheik was silent for a long time as she stared at him, letting his encouraging words sink in. She knew he was right and at the same time, she was comforted by what he had said. And more than that, she was glad to have finally told someone about her dark past, about her regrets and heartache. But it was as she was thinking over what he had said that she realized something important. All her life had been a struggle for the confidence and self-assurance that she had always lacked, but the hero seemed to have limitless amounts of it, despite the fact that he too was going through so much. She craved to know such calm in the face of great adversity. She admired him for it, among many other things. But perhaps her feelings for him were starting to grow beyond simple admiration... Several different emotions began to rush through Sheik at once as the sudden thought occurred to her. She felt her cheeks grow bright red and she was quick to look away from him so he wouldn't see it. She knew that she would never be able to admit it too him, even if her uncertain feelings were genuine. It was against the social customs of her tribe and as its leader, she had a reputation to uphold. So even if it was what she thought it was, she had to suppress her newfound desires, even though she knew it would be incredibly difficult. So, as she placed her emotions to the back of her mind, she looked back at him once again and nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Link..." she said as evenly as she could, despite the fact that her heart was racing with dread and affection. "Thank you so much..."

* * *

**So let me just tell you guys that this chapter had been running around in my mind for a long time now and I'm glad to finally get it out there! I really hope you all liked this huge outpouring of Sheik and Veress's mysterious past, which definitely will come into play later on! As for the next chapter, we're going to lighten things up a bit with a few somewhat humorous, adventurous moments between Link and Sheik that I haven't really came up with yet , so yay! Anyway, that's all for this time folks! Leave a reviews as always and Until Next Time!**


	15. The Light to Banish Darkness

_Ok, so remember how I said this chapter was gonna focus on Link and Sheik... yeah... I'm actually saving that for the next one. This one's about Zelda! Yeah! So... I have a brief public service announcement! The Bound Destinies Trilogy now has a page on TVtropes (courtesy of Nintendoman01)! So if you wanna see it/contribute to it, you may do so by going here: /FanFic/BoundDestiniesTrilogy_

_So, thanks to draftcrafty for following! Now onto the reviews!_

_Nintendoman01-Well... to answer your question, I'd kinda have to spoil things that are gonna happen in this story later on... Don't worry, it will all make sense though! :D and as for your other review, yeah Sheik and Veress do have a pretty rough history... For once I'm finally writing a truly tragic villain and Veress is only going to get more interesting as we go on! :D_

_Nikrael-Only time will tell if Sheik is going to follow her heart or not yet... :) Again though, she doesn't really know that Link is already spoken for yet, so that will cause some problems in the future, certainly. And who knows? You just might end up finding one of my novels on the shelf someday? Hahaha ;D_

_Lovely girl 10-Yeah... I know from experience that its hard loosing your best friend and I kinda used some of that pain to write the last chapter. Cool huh?_

_ShadowNinja1011-Thanks! :D_

_Vivi-ntvg-Well, the thing is, Sheik doesn't really know about Link and Zelda's relationship yet... But when she finds out... well... its not gonna be easy for her to come to terms with, i can tell you that! :(_

_So that's all for the reviews. Let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 14: The Light to Banish Darkness_

Zelda could tell that she was having what she referred to as a "Hylia dream" based on the fact that everything seemed distant and faded, but all immediate all the same. In addition, she also felt trapped, like she always did when she had a dream of the goddess's memories, inside a body that was not her own, even though she could see everything that was going on and could make use of her other senses as well.

This particular dream was of a memory that Zelda was not familiar with. When she had acquired Hylia's memories, she had only received what was important to carrying out the goddess's plan to defeat Demise. Everything else had been left out, but occasionally the girl would get glimpses of Hylia's past life, before she had cast off her divinity. It was through these dreams that she had pieced together both Hylia's history and her personality. The goddess herself had been very serious, but also dedicated to the land she was charged with protecting. She was dutiful, and for that reason, she rarely showed any signs of weakness, including emotion. But as Zelda shared with another memory with her past life, a sense of dread and worry pervaded her own feelings, which were being influenced by Hylia's thoughts and feelings. What the goddess could have been worried about considering her stoic position was beyond the girl, but she devoted her attention to the scene that she was not only watching, but also taking part in.

Hylia stood in the center of the Sealed Grounds, before the recently created spike that had sealed Demise into the earth only mere moments before. A newfound sense of calm settled over the land, and life started to stir once more within the war-torn area. But the goddess's gaze was locked onto the clouded skies ahead, looking to the heavens where the humans and the Triforce had just been sent to live in peace. Zelda couldn't exactly read Hylia's thoughts, but she gathered that the isle in the sky was not really her concern at the moment. Rather it was aimed towards an unknown source, one that the girl couldn't figure out.

With a quiet sigh of dread, Hylia used her powers to teleport in a flourish of light from the demon king's prison to the vast field, which was soiled with blood from the recent battle that had been fought against Demise. As she slowly walked through the field, he goddess did not look at any of the dead bodies of the various surface races who had been mercilessly slaughtered for her sake, but Zelda saw them all and on her own merit, she felt guilty for their deaths. They had all risen up to defend their land against Demise and his demonic hordes, for the honor and glory of the goddess, but they had laid down their lives in doing so. And what made her feel even worse was that there were even a few decaying human bodies among them as well, clearly showing that even though she had been able to spare most of them by sending them to the sky, she had not been able to save them all.

Hylia stopped dead in her tracks and her breath caught when she spotted something green lying on the ground several feet in the distance. Zelda couldn't make out what it was at first, but as Hylia broke out across the field in a run towards it, it started become clearer to her. It was a person, though the girl was unable to make out too much about them as their back was turned to her as they lied somewhat propped up against a rock. The goddess stopped once more when she was only a few feet away from the person and she stood still for several moments as a rush of fear and grief spilled into her heart. This gave Zelda a chance to better examine the figure who laid before her and the same feelings of sorrow and angst started to fill her as well. For as she looked upon the person, whom she now knew to be a young man, she sensed something intensely familiar about him. His torn, dirt-soiled green tunic and cap were so inconspicuously familiar that there was no mistaking her suspicions, as much as she wanted to prove them wrong. The only difference seemed to be the tattered red cape and golden mantle, but those did little to distract from the fatal wound torn into his side, the blood from it still fresh, but no longer flowing.

Warm tears started to flow down Hylia's face and Zelda shared them with her, praying and hoping that it wasn't true. Hesitantly, she stepped closer towards the fallen warrior and knelt down beside him, taking in a shaky breath to prepare herself for what she knew she was going to find. As she reached over to take his cold, yet strong body in her arms, he did not stir at all, confirming what both the goddess and the girl had feared. An ill feeling of pain and misery came over Zelda, one she knew would never go away as Hylia stroked the injured hero's pale blonde hair and let her tears of mourning fall onto his unfeeling face. Zelda was too overcome with grief to notice that there were in fact differences between who she thought this was and who he really was, but all the same, she joined Hylia in a tearful cry of woe, one that echoed throughout the field as the both cried out the same name in unison: "Link!"

* * *

Zelda awakened with a jolt, her breath completely lost and her heart pounding despite the fact that she had not been in any danger whatsoever in her dream. Her eyes were still damp with tears, ones that wouldn't stop falling from her eyes as she sat up and hugged her legs, pouring out her sorrow and fear for several minutes. Her mind tried to make sense of the dream that she had just had, but the only thing she could actually focus on was the inner pain she was feeling. Never before had one of Hylia's memories brought her so much heartache and the girl knew the reason why this one had. Though she didn't know how to explain it, she had seen her hero lying cold and dead, and she had been far too late to help him. But now that she was fully awake, something bothered her about the dream. Though he had looked quite similar, the hero in her dream just didn't appear to be _her_ Link. Zelda wasn't sure what to make of that realization; it could mean a number of things and the fact that she had seen it all through Hylia's eyes didn't make coming to a conclusion any easier. The girl sighed as she placed her head against her legs, trying to chase away the headache brought on by grief and confusion that she had developed. So instead of thinking about her dream and what it could possibly mean, she instead remembered the task at hand: finding a way out of the Interlopers' stronghold with her life.

Taking in a deep breath, Zelda peeked out of the small nook that she had been resting in and when she saw that the cost was clear, she stepped out into the hallway and glanced around, trying to remember her original direction. There was no question that she was lost within these maze-like corridors, but at the very least she had not been foolish enough to run into any of the monsters or traps that Veress had warned her about. But all the same, the girl wanted nothing more than to escape from this place and get back to Link, especially after what she had discovered during the Interlopers' meeting. However, getting out now wouldn't be as easy as she had initially hoped. Because of her failed attempt to destroy the Interloper's power source, they were certainly on the hunt for her throughout the temple, meaning that now, she'd have to rely on stealth as well as direction. But she knew that there had to be a way out of the temple; who would build a strong hold without creating an exit for it? And even if there was only one way out, Zelda was determined to find it, no matter what it took.

Gathering her bearings once more, Zelda pressed on, heading ever deeper into the darkness as she let her mind wander. She didn't particularly think back to her disturbing dream, so instead she thought about what Veress had said about Link earlier. The word that the rebel leader had used, "corruption", still bothered the girl immensely. According to Veress, this corruption had the intent and capability of somehow claiming the hero's soul and spirit, but to what extent and by what means, Zelda didn't know. She knew for a fact that Link's spirit was unbreakable; it was the very reason why Hylia had chosen him to be her hero. Perhaps Veress had simply lied to her followers about it to raise their moral or maybe she had just miscalculated in her theory. But all the same, Zelda couldn't shake the feeling that whatever this corruption was, it was related to how the hero had almost attacked her right before they were both attacked by the Interlopers. The only things that she was absolutely certain of were that all of this had started right after they got back from Termina and that Link knew exactly what was going on, but he had neglected to tell her anything for some reason or another, much to her frustration. But at the moment, all Zelda could really do aside from find an escape route, was hope that Terminus could provide her with the answers she craved to a problem that she only prayed could be resolved. She wouldn't know what she would do if she lost Link. It just wasn't an option for her.

Eventually, after what seemed like hours of walking and taking paths down random hallways, Zelda happened upon a large set of stone doors, bigger than any she had seen so far. She knew that something important just had to be beyond them and besides, any other path that she could have taken led right into a dead end. If there was a way out of the temple, then this had to be it. Mustering up all of her strength, the girl pressed her full weight against the towering doors, and though it took some doing, they finally budged, slowly opening the path to the next room.

Upon passing through the doorway, Zelda found that she had finally escaped from the seemingly endless labyrinth of hallways, though she still wasn't free yet. The room that she had just entered into was apparently large and arid, but very dark; in fact it was so blackened that the girl could hardly see a few feet in front of her. And yet there was one small source of light coming from the high ceiling on the far end of the room, many feet away. And what excited Zelda even more was that it appeared to be natural light pouring into from the opening, rather than fire light, which meant that it was hopefully just the escape route she had been searching for. With a small smile crossing her face, she started to run towards, hope filling her more and more with each step.

However, when she was halfway across the room, the ground beneath her began to shake, and it quickly grew into a violent tremor, one that almost knocked the girl off her feet. She glanced around quickly through the darkness, but she could find nothing until she happened to look up and see the giant human-like hand coming down from above to crush her. With a frightened gasp, Zelda barely managed to roll out of its path as it slammed down on the ground, causing it to rumble even more. Another hand coming down several feet to her right also resounded and no more than a moment later, they both drew themselves back up into the air. With wide eyes, the girl noticed that the hands were independent of any arms, or even a body at that, despite the fact that she really couldn't see them that well in the darkness. As the hands lowered themselves back to her level once more, a bright red light flooded the area from a single source: the lone eyeball of whatever creature she was now encountering. And as Zelda stared into its malicious scarlet gaze, she realized that this monster was certainly a creation of the Interlopers and it certainly intended to halt her escape, if not kill her then and there.

With quick movements, the beast moved its two disjointed hands together in an attempt to crush the girl in between them, but Zelda was fortunate enough to evade them once more. Her heart was pounding in fear as she tried to see if there was a way past the monster, but unfortunately it was completely blocking her path to the exit and looking back towards the way she had come in, she saw that the quaking earth had caused a large amount of rubble to collapse in front of the doors, trapping her with the monster alone. She had no idea how she was going to survive this one without any sort of weapon or defense, but she had to try. For Link's sake and her own.

Taking in a deep, yet uneven breath, Zelda turned to face the monster once more, locking her gaze onto its hands as they raced towards her in an attempt to grab her. Acting completely on adrenaline, she ducked out of their reach and hurried over to the opposite side of the room to place some distance between them and her. But the dark creature was persistent; it wanted it prey and it had every intention of getting it. It lifted its hands high into the air once more, so high that Zelda was unable to see them through the darkness. Fortunately she had a vague idea about what the beast intended on doing: it was going to send its unseen hands down in another attempt to crush the life out of her. Coming up with an on-the-spot plan to outsmart it, the girl continued to run around the floor in random patterns, never once stopping lest the hands come down upon her and crush her where she stood. She did this for several minutes, until one of the hands finally came crashing down in an enraged fist a few feet behind her, causing the ground to shake violently once more. Zelda barely maintained her footing but she hardly let the rumbling earth phase her. She carried on with her previous plan, doing her best to remain calm and level-headed despite the fact that her heart was pounding with fear.

As the second hand came down several feet away from her, Zelda spun around to glance at the creature's main eye, standing out amidst the thick darkness of the room. She knew that she only had a moment to strategize, so she used every second of it. The creature's main body, if it even had one, was blocking her only exit from not only this room, but the entire temple. But perhaps if she could somehow maneuver around the monster while evading its hands, she could hopefully make it out of here alive, despite the fact that she had no weapon. She knew that it wasn't the safest plan, or the smartest, but at the moment, it was all she had.

Eying the distance of several feet that it would take for her to cross the remainder of the huge room, Zelda wasted no time in rushing for the creature, taking unpredictable directions to get there so its hands would not see through her plan. Fatigue was starting to get to her, but she tried her hardest to ignore it; there would be time to be tired later if she made it that far. She had made it to a point several feet away from the exit when she made the fatal mistake of glancing away from her intended path to look into the blackness above to see if she could locate the monster's hands. In that one moment, she crashed right into the creature's glowing eyeball, only slightly damaging the beast itself, but angering it much more. In a sudden panic, the girl backed away from the monster as it screeched out in fury and her eyes widened when its eye shut altogether, cutting off the room's only light source and leaving her in the dark. Zelda strained her eyes to see through the darkness, trying to find the slightest glimpse of either of the monster's hands, but unfortunately, thanks to her impaired vision, there was no way she could have seen one of them rush towards her faster than she ever could have reacted to it.

In one fell swoop, the giant hand grabbed the girl and grasped onto her tightly. Zelda screamed in fear as the monster lifted her high into the air, tightening its heavy grip on her and restricting her air flow. Unable to struggle against its near bone-crushing grasp, she could do nothing as the monster held her upside down as its eye opened again directly in front of her face, staring at her with its piercing red gaze. Tears of pain began to fall down the girl's face as she stared in terror at the monster that was slowly crushing the life out of her. Why had she ever thought that she would have been able to stand up against such a twisted beast of darkness and come out of it with her life? She had been foolish trying to do this on her own. She knew that if Link had been there with her, her chances would have been so much higher. Veress had been right; there had never been any chance of her escaping this temple, and because of her inability to save herself and those closest to her, everything was going to fall into darkness and destruction at the hands of the Interlopers.

Right before Zelda fell into unconsciousness from lack of air, the monster finally seemed to grow tired of playing with her and so it lifted her high into the air and threw her with a great amount of force across the room. Barely alive, the girl crashed into the stone wall and plummeted to the ground limply, as the monster reveled in its easy victory.

* * *

Zelda found that she was being drawn out of the void of unconsciousness, despite the fact that she was still surrounded by a thick darkness everywhere she looked. It was as she stood in the midst of this vast emptiness that she realized just how incredibly weary she was of darkness and how much she yearned for light once more. And though she had not voiced this opinion out loud, it seemed as though something had read her thoughts perfectly. "What you desire, my child, is the light to banish darkness..." a calm female voice resounded throughout the area. Zelda immediately recognized this voice and as she turned around to face its source her wondering expression did not change.

"Hylia," Zelda said emptily to the goddess. She had convened with Hylia in her dreams before and every time it made her wish that she had been born as her own person, rather than as the goddess's reincarnation. Though her grace had many respectable qualities such as firm, yet fair leadership and wise judgement, every time she spoke to Zelda, it seemed that she did not approve of the choices that the girl had made on her own accord regarding the surface, the Triforce, and their safekeeping. Her serious and often downright condescending manner gave Zelda even more reason to have distain for this part of herself, even though she knew she couldn't get rid of it.

_"_You do not seemed very pleased to see me, Zelda," Hylia said in her stately tone. "Why is this?"

Zelda glared down at the floor, knowing exactly why she was angry with the goddess and this time, she intended to let her know. "Why?" the girl said hotly. "You know why! You expect me to be just like you. You think we're both one and the same, but we're not. I was Zelda way before I was ever Hylia and I'm still Zelda, no matter what you or anyone else says! I'm supposed to think like you, and do everything in the same way you would have done it, but we're two different people! I may be you reborn as a mortal, but I never asked to be..."

The goddess glanced down to ground, remaining silent for a long moment. "I... I believe I understand..." she said slowly, her melodious voice quiet and wizened.

"No you don't," Zelda snapped bitterly. "You were never a mortal until you were reborn as me and I used to be completely mortal until I found out I was you! Do you even know how hard that was for me? I went through my entire life, thinking I was one person and then I suddenly find that not only am I someone else, but I also have this huge, life threatening destiny that effects the entire world thrust upon me, one that my best friend was thrown into as well, without either of us really wanting it! And even now that Demise is gone and its all over, we're still both in way over our heads! I bet even you could have never predicted that the Dark Interlopers would rise up and cause all this trouble because all you ever cared about was getting rid of Demise and keeping the Triforce safe."

"That was certainly not all I cared about!" Hylia admonished firmly, a sudden flash of anger showing on her beautiful features.

"Then what did you care about?" Zelda asked piercingly. "Because it certainly wasn't about all of the danger and turmoil that Link and I had to go through to fulfill the 'destiny' that you laid out for us before we were even born. We're both just kids! I don't know what you expect from us. We're doing our best to keep this land safe, but clearly that's not good enough because its in trouble again!"

Hylia took in a deep breath and stared at her reincarnation for a long, silent moment before letting out a relenting sigh. "Zelda..." she began, understanding in her voice. "I realize that I have not been fair to you or Link... And I am sorry... But in a situation such as this, there was no way I could have been fair. What I did was necessary for the salvation of the surface. Demise needed to be stopped and this was the only way I was able to do it. I will not deny that I used both of you... I accept the full blame for all of the hardship that both of you have endured then and now. It is because of me that danger has befallen the surface once more and you were right; I never could have predicted it. But my time in this world as my own separate entity is over now. It ended when Demise was vanquished. Now, it is your time to defend this land. That is why this is the last time we will ever convene face to face..."

Zelda's glare faded as the goddess spoke, and it was replaced with a look of regret and sadness. "Oh, Hylia... no... I... I didn't mean..." she stammered, unsure of what to say to apologize.

"It is fine, Zelda," a small smile crossed Hylia's features. "For the world is entering a new era. In it, life for both the dwellers of the sky and the dwellers of the surface will change forever. Wars will be waged, lives will be lost, and once more, this land will face grave devastation at the hand of a great evil. But from the ashes of this dying age, a new world will emerge, and it will be one birthed by your generation. I represent an age long past, but you, Zelda... You represent a bright future..."

Zelda sighed and shook her head in sadness. "No..." she said morosely. "I don't... Everything seems so hopeless, Hylia... The Dark Interlopers have the power they need to take the Triforce and use it to destroy everything and there's no way I'm strong enough to stand against them on my own..."

"But you are not on your own, my child..." Hylia said consolingly.

The girl closed her eyes as a stray tear slipped down her cheek. "If I can't find a way to help Link, I will be..." she said with grief in her tone. "And without him... I... I don't really see any point in trying to fight at all..."

Hylia glanced down, feeling great pity for her reincarnation. "Zelda, I..." she hesitated in what she was trying to say, realizing that now was not the right place or time for it. "I must tell you something you must never forget..." she said with a small smile as she went off on a different tangent. "So long as there is light to banish darkness, it will never extinguish hope. Never forget that. Let it carry you through the darkest times and you will come out of them with both light and hope, two of the strongest forces in this world."

"Well I don't have much of either of those..." Zelda said with no hope in her voice at all.

Hylia was silent for a moment as she came up with a comforting response. "Well then," she said with a kind smile. "Since you are in need of them, and considering all of the hurt I have put you through, it is only fair that I provide you with one of them. If I give you the light, do you promise to find the hope on your own?"

Zelda gave her a confused look, but nodded nonetheless, unsure of where Hylia was going with this. She watched closely as the goddess held her hands out in front of her and almost instantly, a bright light began to surround them. As the light grew to near blinding levels, it flashed brilliantly, sending off a wave of strong power throughout the area. When the light dimmed down, Zelda was able to see the item that had appeared floating over Hylia's hands: a bow, beautifully crafted and glowing warmly amidst the rest of the darkness that surrounded both of them, driving it away and creating a landscape of light.

"What is that?" the girl asked, amazed by the splendor of the holy weapon.

"This," Hylia said, glancing down at the bow with pride. "Is the Bow of Light. It is a sacred weapon, crafted from the pure light of the golden goddesses and enhanced by my own power. It does not use arrows made by the hands of men, but rather arrows drawn from light themselves. It is truly the light to banish darkness and now... it is yours..." She held the bow out towards the girl, waiting for her to take it.

Zelda hesitated as she stared at the perfect weapon, knowing simply by looking at it that it certainly held abundant power, more than she would ever be able to use properly. "Are you sure?" she asked the goddess with uncertainty. "I've never even held a bow before..."

"There is no need to concern yourself with that," Hylia said reassuringly. "After all, though we may be different in some ways, we are still the same in others. You will remember everything when the time comes..."

Feeling somewhat more encouraged, Zelda finally took the Bow of Light in her own hands and the moment she did so, she felt a rush of warm, sacred power course through her. It strengthened her and reenergized her, and not only that; it also somehow renewed some of her lost hope. "Thank you..." she said so Hylia with a more confident smile. "I... I'm sorry for ever doubting you..."

"And I am sorry for ever believing that there was the slightest chance that you would not lead this land into an era of peace," Hylia said. "In the days when I reigned over the surface, there was a great war and though I did everything I could, in the end, I could not protect what was most important to me because I myself didn't even realize what that was. But you... you know without a doubt what you hold dear above all else. The surface is on the verge of war once more, but this time, I feel as though things will end differently. This time, light will triumph over darkness. I am sure of it."

Zelda took in a deep breath, finding comfort in the goddess's words. If Hylia believed that peace would reign and that everything would turn out alright for her and Link in the end, then so did she. "I am too," she said with a firm smile.

Hylia nodded as the light surrounding them began to grow, taking Zelda away from the goddess and back to the waking world. "I wish you luck in your endeavors, Zelda," the goddess called out. "Even though we shall not meet again, know that I am a part of you and I always will be. And remember what I told you!"

Zelda smiled as she clutched the Bow of Light tight in her grasp, ready to take on any obstacle in her path with its sacred power. "So long as there is light to banish darkness," she answered as the goddess's image faded away for the last time. "It can never extinguish hope!"

* * *

As Zelda truly awakened, she didn't feel any of the pain she thought she would have considering how much the dark beast had injured her. Whatever had happened in the realms of her dreams had apparently carried over into the realm of consciousness, as not a scratch was on her and even more than that, she still held the Bow of Light in her hands. She stared at the glowing weapon in amazement as it provided a light for her to see by. The creature did not pay her any mind, as it believed her to be dead, but the girl was far from it as a sly smile came across her face. This was the perfect opportunity to launch a sneak attack on it and now that she had a weapon, escape was finally within reach.

Rising from the rubble that she had been lying in, Zelda grasped the handle of the bow with surprisingly the proper hand, despite the fact that she knew almost nothing about them. She realized that it was as Hylia had said it would be; the goddess's memories were guiding her in what to do. The girl went along with it as she held the bow up and placed her free hand near the golden bowstring. A soft glow surrounded it and almost instantaneously, a beautiful, shining arrow formed within her hand out of thin air. She gasped in surprise at this and continued to move slowly as she got used to the feeling of notching the arrow and drawing it back along the bowstring. Somehow, it was nowhere near as hard as she thought it would be; in fact, it felt natural, as if she had done it hundreds of times before. Taking in a deep breath, she aimed the tip of the arrow right for the creature's red eye several feet across the room and prayed that it would be true. She glared at the terrible beast as she let the arrow finally fly and sure enough, it hit its mark perfectly. Since it had not been expecting it, the monster let out a shrill shriek as the pure light struck its exposed eye. Both of its hands went soaring into the air in a blind panic and already, Zelda was making her next move.

The girl rushed towards the monster, hoping to hit it even harder with a closer attack. By now, the beast realized that its opponent had returned and was now putting up a fight, and so it decided to retaliate. In a furious rush, it threw one of its hands down towards her but Zelda dodged it with time to spare. She wasn't sure how, but she was moving with much more precision and agility now. She suspected it was Hylia's doing; the goddess was aiding her for the last time in this battle, but the rest she would have to do on her own. Zelda could handle that, but she was happy for the help this time. Maybe she had been wrong about Hylia all this time; maybe it was more of a blessing to be the reincarnation of the goddess than it was a curse.

Upon regaining a standing position, Zelda immediately prepared another arrow, though she kept moving the entire time so the monster's hands would not crush her where she stood. She waiting until just the right moment to let the second arrow fly and like the first one, it also was a direct hit. Light exploded upon the dark creature's eye and the girl knew that it couldn't take much more of this. Its hands fell to the ground in fists, causing the earth to rattle once more. In the midst of this, Zelda was finally ready to put an end to the battle. She raced forward, each step filled with righteous fury for the monster who had almost killed her and for the Interlopers who had not only imprisoned her here, but who had separated her and Link in the first place.

Thanks to Hylia's energy and strength coursing through her, Zelda was able to preform a magnificent high leap into the air and she landed squarely on top of the stunned monster's exposed eye. She was quick to aim her bow directly down to the weak spot beneath her and as she let the third arrow go, it pounded into the dark creature's eye in a flourish of pure light, which truly did banish the darkness as the beast let out an earsplitting scream of pain and agony. Zelda leapt off of the monster and watched as it was covered in light from her arrow, until the light finally flashed blindingly, destroying the beast with its sacred power. In the wake of its destruction, the light did not fade, but rather it pointed the way to a ladder against the far wall that led to the opening in the ceiling. Freedom and victory both belonged to Zelda and a fulfilling sense of accomplishment filled her, one that was only dimmed by the fact that Link was not there to share it with her. And as much as she wanted to end the separation between them immediately, she knew that there was something important that she had to go do first, without him. She had to return to Termina on her own and converse with her sister once more to help the hero. Only then would she be able to be with him again and she simply couldn't wait to be in his arms once more.

Zelda imagined that happy reunion as she hurried for the ladder. In no time at all, she scaled it and climbed up into the natural light of the surface. The midday sun bore down on her as she climbed out of the small hole that led to the Interloper's underground stronghold and as she took in a breath of fresh air she smiled confidently, proud that she had defied Veress and her followers just as she said she would. Perhaps there was a way to beat them after all. Perhaps not all hope was lost.

Realizing that she was standing in the southern end of the vast field, Zelda turned her attention towards the forest, which was just nearby. If she kept to the woods, she would not only make her way back to Termina, but hopefully she would be able to evade Veress and her underlings, who would certainly discover that she had escaped and peruse her soon enough. Taking in another deep breath, the girl reaffirmed her resolve as she started to walk towards the forest with the Bow of Light in hand, pining for her hero, reveling in her freedom, and reclaiming her hope.

* * *

**Yay! So Zelda's free and she did it all on her own! (Well... with a little sacred help...) Now I'm all excited to write not only her reunion with Terminus but I'm especially excited about writing her reunion with Link cause I got some GREAT ideas for that! The next chapter will be exactly what I said it was going to be last time. Focusing on Link, Sheik and Fi in their travels, featuring some light humor, some angst and some emotion. You know all the good stuff! As always, leave a REVIEW and until next time!**


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